I have what I think is a very simple question but I can't find a simple solution: in the following multi-row column headings for a longtable, I have two clines under the second row under columns 2-3 and columns 4-5, and I want to move the rest of the second row (that is, "Back & ME /\textipa{\bfseries a}/ & & & Voiced") down slightly so that there won't be an extra vertical space in column headings 6-11 (due to the space required for the clines under columns 2-5). I would appreciate any advice, and sorry I overlooked this covered elsewhere. Thanks!
Apologies for the oversight. Below is complete, compilable code for the table, including all the \usepackage commands in the original file (which is a complete book). Again, I have two clines under the second row of a table under columns 2-3 and columns 4-5, and I want to move the rest of the second row (that is, "Back & ME /\textipa{\bfseries a}/ & & & Voiced") down slightly so that there won't be an extra vertical space in column headings 6-11 (due to the space required for the clines under columns 2-5). Thanks very much for your help.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in, paperwidth=17cm, paperheight=24cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{layout}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{tipa}
\usepackage{tipx}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{longtable, lscape}
\usepackage{dcolumn}
\usepackage{subfig}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{everysel}
\usepackage{keyval}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{enumerate}
\usepackage{multirow}
\begin{document}
\newcommand\Z{\rule{0pt}{3ex}}
\begin{landscape}\footnotesize
\begin{longtable}{lcccccccccc}
\caption[English Regions and Their Distinctive Features]{English Regions and Their Distinctive Features} \label{regionfeatures}\\
& \multicolumn{2}{c}{Inglides/} & & & & & & & & \\
& \multicolumn{2}{c}{Downglides} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Upglides} & \multirow{3}{*}{\parbox{1cm}{\vskip4pt\centering Back Vowel Fronting}} & \multirow{3}{*}{\parbox{1cm}{\vskip4pt\centering ME /\textipa{\bfseries a} Lengthening}}/ & & & \multirow{3}{*}{\parbox{1cm}{\vskip4pt\centering Voiced Fricatives}} & \\
\cline{2-3}\cline{4-5}
& Front \Z & Back & Front & Back & & & ME /\textipa{\bfseries a}/& & & \\
Region & Vowels & Vowels & Vowels & Vowels & & & Raising & Rhotics & & Aspirates\\
\hline
Far North \Z & U & O & - & - & - & - & - & [\textipa{\bfseries K}] & - & [\textipa{\bfseries h}], [\textipa{\bfseries wh}] \\
Upper Northwest & U & U & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & [\textipa{\bfseries h}] (O) \\
Cumbria-N. Yorkshire & U & U & O & - & - & - & - & - & - & - \\
Lower Northwest & O & O & O & O & - & - & - & - & - & - \\
Lincolnshire & U & U & - & - & - & - & - & - & - & - \\
Staffordshire & - & - & U & O & [\textipa{\bfseries \"u:}] & - & - & - & - & - \\
East Midlands & - & - & U & U & [\textipa{\bfseries \"u:}] & - & - & - & - & - \\
West Midlands & O & - & O & - & - & - & O & [\textipa{\bfseries \*r}] $\sim$ [\textipa{\bfseries \:r}] & - & -\\
Central South & O & O & O & O & - & U & - & [\textipa{\bfseries \*r}] & - & - \\
North Anglia & - & - & U & U & - & U & U & - & - & [\textipa{\bfseries h}] \\
Central Southeast & - & - & U & U & - & U & U & - & - & - \\
Southeast Coast & - & - & U & U & - & U & U & [\textipa{\bfseries \*r}] & - & [\textipa{\bfseries h}] (O) \\
Central Southwest & O & - & O & O & - & U & O & [\textipa{\bfseries \:r}] & U & [\textipa{\bfseries h}] (O) \\
Devonshire & O & - & O & - & [\textipa{\bfseries Y:}] & U & - & [\textipa{\bfseries \:r}] & U & - \\
Cornwall & O & - & O & - & - & U & O & [\textipa{\bfseries \:r}] & U & - \\
\hline
\end{longtable}
Note: U - Usual pronunciation of at least one phoneme; O - Occasional pronunciation.\\
\end{landscape}
\end{document}
The idea was to use \multirow (from the multirow package) for the problematic columns to merge three cells; a final adjustment was required and I used \vskip.
Of course, change the width of the \parbox commands (I used 1cm) and the length used for the \vskip (I used 4pt).
That did the trick. I had not previously understood the use of either /multirow or /parbox, but this is a very useful illustration of both. As you suggested, I had to change the width of one the \parbox commands to 1.1cm) and the length of \vskip to 5pt, but now the table looks exactly as I intended. The thesis is now ready to submit - thanks very much for your help!
