rather than . Where the suffix '-ing' is preceded by a vowel or diphthong, there is a smoothing effect that results in a single vowel. Thus 'go+ing' is usually pronounced as a single syllable rather than as a two-syllable word ending in , and 'doing' is rather than . This phenomenon is the only one in East Anglia that is spreading, in the 21st century, from north to south (the opposite direction from the typical south-to-north influences coming out of London). // is a very front vowel , unlike RP or London English where it is a back vowel. Words containing sounds (as in ) can be more fronted or raised compared against most other English dialects: often, or . was once used in a particular subset of words (certain closed- and single-syllable words) within the set, such as coat, don't, home, stone, and whole (the final item a homophone with hull: ). This was extremely old-fashioned even by the late 20th century. Single-syllable words with the vowel spelt 'oo' such as 'roof' and 'hoof' have the vowel to give and respectively. The toe–tow merger typical of most Modern English dialects may continue to be resisted. The vowel of RP generally has a quality that can be represented as in Norfolk: thus words with the spelling 'oa', 'oe' and 'oCe' such as 'boat', 'toe', 'code' sound to outsiders like 'boot', 'too', 'cood' respectively. An exception is that of words spelt with 'ou', 'ow', 'ol' such as 'soul', 'know', 'told' which have a wider diphthong quite similar to the RP , or even wider . However, the toe-tow merger is indeed well-established in Ipswich (Suffolk) and Colchester (Essex), in the 21st century expanding gradually into Norfolk. The pane–pain merger typical of most Modern English dialects may continue to be resisted. In the speech of older Norwich residents and in rural East Anglia, the vowel, , is in words spelt with 'ai' or 'ay' such as 'rain' and 'day', but or (similar to 'air') in words spelt 'aCe' such as 'take', 'late'. This has largely given way throughout most of East Anglia to a merger towards . The near-square merger variably occurs, particularly among the working class, so that the and vowels and sound the same in Norwich. Thus 'beer' and 'bear' sound the same, the vowel quality being . This may be considered to be a related case to that of