Vowels before /r/ NEAR, SQUARE

For many NfldE speakers, the vowels of these two sets are merged, with the merged vowel ranging from high or semi-high [i]/[ɪ] on the Irish Avalon, to a high-mid to mid vowel approximating cardinal vowels 2 or 3 elsewhere in the province. More educated speakers, however (including those on the audio samples), distinguish the two sets in the standard manner, though often the distinction appears more learned than inherited.