▁of ▁tar : ▁. ▁ ▁An ▁ep enth etic ▁( in tr ud ing ) ▁ ▁sound ▁may ▁occur ▁after ▁v ow els ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁words , ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁water ▁pron ounced ▁like ▁ ▁war ter ▁, ▁and ▁was h ▁like ▁war sh ▁. ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁v owel ▁mer gers ▁occur ▁uniqu ely ▁in ▁Western ▁Pennsylvania ▁English ▁before ▁the ▁con son ant ▁. ▁The ▁pair ▁of ▁v ow els ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁may ▁each ▁merge ▁before ▁the ▁ ▁con son ant , ▁cause ▁both ▁steel ▁and ▁still ▁to ▁be ▁pron ounced ▁as ▁something ▁like ▁. ▁Similarly , ▁, ▁, ▁and ▁ ▁may ▁merge ▁before ▁, ▁so ▁that ▁ ▁pool , ▁pull , ▁and ▁pole ▁may ▁merge ▁to ▁something ▁like ▁. ▁On ▁the ▁ ▁mer ger , ▁Lab ov , ▁Ash ▁and ▁Bo berg ▁( 2 0 0 6 ) ▁note ▁" the ▁s tere ot ype ▁of ▁mer ger ▁of ▁ ▁is ▁based ▁only ▁on ▁a ▁close ▁approximation ▁of ▁some ▁forms , ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁represent ▁the ▁underlying ▁norm s ▁of ▁the ▁dialect ". ▁The ▁ ▁mer ger ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁western ▁Pennsylvania , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁United ▁States , ▁including ▁Alabama , ▁Texas ▁and ▁the ▁west ▁( Mc El hin ny ▁ 1 9 9 9 ). ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁the ▁ ▁mer ger ▁is ▁consist ently ▁found ▁only ▁in ▁western ▁Pennsylvania . ▁The ▁ ▁mer ger ▁towards ▁ ▁may ▁also ▁appear ▁before ▁ ▁( so ▁that ▁e agle ▁can