Pakistani English speakers are reshaping central vowels, acoustic study finds

Pakistani English is developing its own acoustic signature in its central vowels, according to a socio-phonetic study published in SN Social Sciences. In the study, Hafiz Ahmad Bilal and colleagues recorded 80 BS English students — 40 male and 40 female — from the University of Sargodha and the University of Mianwali, all native Punjabi speakers and proficient users of English in academic contexts. The study divided the participants into four groups to allow socio-phonetic comparison.

The study used monosyllabic /hVd/ words recorded within a carrier phrase. From these recordings the researchers extracted F1, F2, and vowel duration in Praat. The measurements were analysed in MS Excel and SPSS, and linear mixed-effects models using speaker-normalised Lobanov formant values tested for differences by university, sex, and vowel.

The results show that the central vowels of Pakistani English differ acoustically from the standard British English qualities reported in the literature. Notably, the vowels /ɜː/ and /ʌ/ converge substantially in spectral quality, meaning they occupy very similar positions in the formant space. However, a robust durational contrast persists between them, indicating a partial rather than complete merger.

According to the study, these findings indicate that Pakistani English central vowels are undergoing nativisation, with distinguishing features that mark the variety as unique.

The study is limited to students at two Pakistani universities who are native Punjabi speakers, so the findings describe this specific population rather than all Pakistani English speakers. The work was published on 27 October 2026 as Volume 6, article number 588 of the journal.

Subject of Research: Acoustic analysis of central vowel nativisation in Pakistani English

Article Title: Nativised central vowels in Pakistani English: a socio-phonetic acoustic investigation

Article References: Bilal, H. A., Ahmad, M., Imran, M., & Almusharraf, N. (2026). Nativised central vowels in Pakistani English: a socio-phonetic acoustic investigation. SN Social Sciences, 6(11), Article 588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-026-01887-7

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s43545-026-01887-7

Keywords: Pakistani English, socio-phonetics, acoustic phonetics, central vowels, vowel merger, formants, World Englishes, Punjabi, nativisation, vowel duration, Nativised, central