Note to recorder:
To American English native speakers:
Hello!
I'd be grateful if you recorded the words for me in the following ways:
1) read the line with the cot-caught merger
2) without the cot-caught merger
I'd also like the words to be pronounced at the same pitch if possible, and both slowly (prolonging the vowel sounds for 4-5 seconds) and at a natural speed. So overall there would be 4 'subrecordings' in one recording:
1.1) with the cot-caught merger -- slow
1.2) with the cot-caught merger -- natural speed
2.1) without the cot-caught merger -- slow
2.2) without the cot-caught merger -- natural speed
Thank you very much!
Cat - Cut - Cot - Caught
Most Americans don't differentiate between COT an CAUGHT phonetically. I personally pronounce them both the same and have no idea how to pronounce them differently.