The fronting of leaves a blank space in Inland North speakers' pronunciation that is filled by lowering (the "aw" vowel in ), which comes to be pronounced with the tongue in a lower position, closer to or . As a result, for example, people affected by the shift may pronounce "caught" the way speakers without the shift say "cot", with both using the vowel . However, a "cot"–"caught" merger is robustly avoided in many parts of Inland North, due to the prior fronting of the /ɑ/. In other words, "cot" is and "caught" is . Even so, however, there is a definite scattering of Inland North speakers who are in a state of transition towards a "cot"–"caught" merger; this is particularly evident in northeastern Pennsylvania. Younger speakers reversing the fronting of , for example in Lansing, Michigan, also approach a merger.