The merger now occurs in most varieties of English, but the phonemes were historically separate. In accents with the merger, "horse" and "hoarse" are pronounced , but in accents without the merger, "hoarse" is pronounced with a higher vowel, usually in rhotic and in non-rhotic accents. Accents that have resisted the merger include most Scottish, Caribbean, and older Southern American accents as well as some African American, modern Southern American, Indian, Irish, and older Maine accents. Some American speakers retain the original length distinction (with being pronounced with a vowel that is as short as in Received Pronunciation) but merge the quality. Therefore, "hoarse" is pronounced longer than "horse" .