Conversation

Why is it so many language learning guides start with phonetic guides that are basically

"the a in bath not face"

me: wait where is the writer from? Do they have the trap-bath split. Oh gosh if they are from certain parts of the US that might even be closer to some sort of o...

And it goes on for the rest of the list by the end of which I still don't know how the vowels are actually pronounced.

*facepalm*