irmingham ▁( the ▁so - called ▁" B rum m ie ") ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁affected ▁words ▁have ▁a ▁short - a , ▁but ▁a unt ▁and ▁laugh ▁usually ▁have ▁long ▁v ow els . ▁Additionally , ▁some ▁words ▁which ▁have ▁ ▁in ▁most ▁forms ▁of ▁American ▁English , ▁including ▁half , ▁cal f , ▁rather , ▁and ▁can ' t , ▁are ▁usually ▁found ▁with ▁long ▁v ow els ▁in ▁the ▁Mid lands ▁and ▁Northern ▁England . ▁ ▁In ▁northern ▁English ▁dialect s , ▁the ▁short ▁A ▁is ▁ph on et ically ▁, ▁while ▁the ▁broad ▁A ▁var ies ▁from ▁ ▁to ▁; ▁for ▁some ▁speak ers , ▁the ▁two ▁v ow els ▁may ▁be ▁identical ▁in ▁quality , ▁differ ing ▁only ▁in ▁length ▁( ▁vs ▁). ▁John ▁Well s ▁has ▁claimed ▁that ▁Northern ers ▁who ▁have ▁high ▁social ▁status ▁may ▁have ▁a ▁ ▁split ▁and ▁has ▁posted ▁on ▁his ▁blog ▁that ▁he ▁grew ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁split ▁in ▁U ph ol land , ▁Lanc ash ire . ▁AF ▁Gu pta ' s ▁study ▁of ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Le eds ▁found ▁that ▁( on ▁splitting ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁two ▁hal ves ) ▁ 9 3 % ▁of ▁northern ers ▁used ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁word ▁" b ath " ▁and ▁ 9 6 % ▁of ▁southern ers ▁used ▁. ▁However , ▁there ▁are ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Mid lands ▁where ▁the ▁two ▁variants ▁co - exist ▁and , ▁once ▁these ▁are ▁ex cluded , ▁there ▁were ▁very ▁few ▁individuals ▁in ▁the ▁north