Petal and Pedal - Difference?

Although I'm more initiated into BrE, I'd believe they sound the same as the voiced tap /t/ sounds as /d/. I believe, however, that it is possible to have a schwa sound in 'pedal' before /l/. Although, in fast speech it is probably omitted.

are petal and pedal pronounced the same in AmE? I don't make any distinction between them...

You're doing the right thing! Also, metal, medal, and meddle. Also ladder and latter, madder and matter, bidder and bitter, etc., whenever that following unstressed syllable is schwa plus r or l -- but not with

CalifJim Also, metal, medal,

Oh, I wish I had thought of that before posting! Yeah, that's true. I didn't need to ask, LOL. It's just that when I decided to post I was thinking... Could my bike have petals?
Well, thanks a lot!

KooyeenCould my bike have petals?

As in "Petal to the medal!", maybe...

MrP

Hi MrP,
I didn't know that idiom... thanks! Of course it's "pedal to the metal"... hehehe.

(Except perhaps at a village flower show.)

village flower show

You have it reversed. It's "Medal to the petal".

CJ

Is was wondering if there is any difference between 'better' and 'bed or...' in American English. At least previously I thought that the vowel preceding the letter 'd' is longer in 'bed or', since it is followed by a voiced consonant in any English dialect. After these replies to the original post I am in doubt however. Could someone tell me if these sound the same too?

Hi,
hmm, good question! I think I say bed or and better the same, but it depend on the context (that is, it mainly depends on the intonation of the sentence they are in).
I could buy a mirror, or a wardrobe or... hmm, a bed or... hmm, maybe some chairs. But I know I'd better buy nothing. <-- different for me (or is not redu

Another funny example from the same book:

A: I am from Macau.
B: You are from a cow?