RHOETIC & NON-RHOETIC

ACCENTS
 NON-RHOETIC ACCENTS

• Accents that have lost the /r/ phoneme almost entirely except
when followed by a vowel either in the same or in the next
word.
• /r/ phoneme is articulated only before a vowel, not before a
consonant or pause.
• Named as r-less accent or a non-r-pronouncing accent.
EXAMPLE:

• Non-rhoetic pronunciation in connection with the linking “r”.

Far [fa:]
Four [f
• These don’t have a final r-sound when pronounced in
isolation because the unarticulated /r/ is not followed by a
vowel.
• When followed by a vowel, they do have a final r-sound as:
• Far away [fa : r away]
• Four eggs [f :r eggs]
RHOETIC ACCENT

• Accent that has not lost the/r/ phoneme over the centuries.
• /r/ phoneme is articulated whenever it occurs in the spelling.
• Example:
far [fa : r]
four [f : r]
• These have a final r-sound when pronounced in isolation.
• Bird [b : rd]
• Farther [fa : rðr]
• Hard [ha:rd]
• They have a word internal r-sound although it is followed by a
consonnt.
 REFERENCE

• Skandera Paul and Burleigh P. (2005) A Manual of phonetics

and phonology
Gunter Nar
Burleigh, P.(2011). A Manual of English phonetics and
phonology.
Roach, P.(1998). English phonetics and phonology.