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The /r/ Sound in Phonetics - Coggle Diagram
The /r/ Sound in Phonetics
The /r/ Sound (Overview)
Voiced: The /r/ sound is a voiced consonant, meaning it is produced with vocal cord vibration.
Articulation: The /r/ sound is classified as a liquid consonant.
Place of Articulation: It’s a postalveolar or retroflex sound in English, with the tongue either curled back (retroflex) or placed just behind the alveolar ridge (postalveolar).
Manner of Articulation: It’s produced by a continuant, meaning air flows through the mouth without complete blockage.
Phonetic Variations of the /r/ Sound
The /r/ sound varies in its production depending on accent, language, and position in words.
Rhotic /r/: Used in accents like American English, where the /r/ is pronounced in most positions (e.g., car, hard).
Non-rhotic /r/: Common in British English and some other dialects where the /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel (e.g., ca becomes /kɑː/, hard becomes /hɑːd/).
Flapped /r/: In some dialects (like American English), the /r/ sound can become a tap when it occurs between vowels, producing a flapped version of the /r/ (e.g., better sounds like /ˈbɛɾər/).
Trilled /r/: Found in some languages (e.g., Spanish, Italian), where the /r/ is pronounced with multiple vibrations of the tongue against the roof of the mouth.
Different Realizations of /r/ in English Accents
American English: Typically rhotic, meaning the /r/ is pronounced in all positions (e.g., hard, car).
British English (Received Pronunciation - RP): Non-rhotic, meaning the /r/ is only pronounced if it’s followed by a vowel (e.g., hard is pronounced /hɑːd/).
Scottish English: Often uses a trilled /r/, which involves rapid tongue vibrations (e.g., roll).
Cockney English: Tends to drop the /r/ sound in some contexts, making it non-rhotic in casual speech (e.g., park becomes /pɑːk/).
Role of /r/ in English Vowels (R-controlled Vowels)
When combined with vowels, /r/ influences the vowel sounds, creating distinct rhotic vowels:
/ɑr/ (as in car)
/ɛr/ (as in bear)
/ɪr/ (as in deer)
/ɔr/ (as in more)
/ʊr/ (as in tour)
/ɑʊr/ (as in our)
Allophones of /r/
Retroflex /r/: The tongue curls backward to produce the /r/ sound (common in American English).
Bunched /r/: The tongue bunches up toward the roof of the mouth without curling (common in some American English dialects).
Flap /r/: A quick tap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, often heard in between vowels in American English (e.g., butter → /ˈbʌɾər/).
Trilled /r/: A series of rapid tongue movements against the roof of the mouth, used in languages like Spanish and Italian.
Key Acoustic Features of /r/
Pitch: The pitch of the /r/ sound can vary depending on speaker's tone and speech context.
Duration: The /r/ sound can be short or longer depending on accent and phonetic environment.
Quality: The /r/ sound can be more “rolling” in some languages (e.g., Spanish, Italian) and more “bunched” or “retroflex” in English.
/r/ in Connected Speech
In connected speech, the /r/ sound can undergo various transformations, such as:
Linking /r/: In non-rhotic accents, an /r/ may be added between words when the first word ends in a vowel and the second begins with a vowel (e.g., law and order becomes /lɔːr ənd ɔːdə/).
Intrusive /r/: In some accents, an /r/ sound may be inserted where none exists in the spelling, usually between two vowels (e.g., idea of it becomes /aɪˈdɪər əv ɪt/).