great vowel shift
noun
variants
often Great Vowel Shift
: a pronunciation change of the long vowels of Middle English from the 15th century through the 16th century in which the high vowels were diphthongized and the other vowels were raised
Cite this Entry
“Great vowel shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20vowel%20shift. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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