When do the british pronounce r?

[luka0309]

For example,ka: or ka:r
and how is it pronounced?

 

[5jj]

Most speakers of British English pronounce the word 'car' as /kɑ:/ except when it is followed immediately by a vowel sound, as in 'My car is in the garage', when they pronounce it /kɑ:r/

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

But, if I'm right, in accents from the south of England, the "r" in "car" is not silent, even it's not followed by a vowel sound. I believe Stephen Merchant talks like this, and he's from Bristol.

 

[5jj]

"Many dialects of English, including General American, most types of Irish English, Standard Scottish English, and much of the rural south and south-west of England, retain the earlier post-vocalic (both pre-consonantantal and pre-pausal) usage of /r/, distinguishing between RP homphones such as pour/paw; court/caught."

Cruttenden, Alan (2001) Gimsons's Pronunciation of English, London: Arnold

 

[konungursvia]

And another simple answer: they pronounce it as well when it is initial (run, raw, real) and in consonant clusters (strong, bring, frown).

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

"Many dialects of English, including General American, most types of Irish English, Standard Scottish English, and much of the rural south and south-west of England, retain the earlier post-vocalic (both pre-consonantantal and pre-pausal) usage of /r/, distinguishing between RP homphones such as pour/paw; court/caught."

Cruttenden, Alan (2001) Gimsons's Pronunciation of English, London: Arnold

:up: I completely forgot that Northern-Ireland and Scotland were also part of Britain.

 

[5jj]

:up: I completely forgot that Northern-Ireland and Scotland were also part of Britain.

Some Scots would understand.

 

[Mohammadhelmi]

And another simple answer: they pronounce it as well when it is initial (run, raw, real) and in consonant clusters (strong, bring, frown).

They pronounce it when it comes at the initial of words (read, rest, road) and in consonant clusters (strong, drink).
I am not a native speaker, but as i know it is not pronounced when it comes at the end of words as in (teacher, actor).

 

[5jj]

They pronounce it when it comes at the[STRIKE] initial[/STRIKE] beginning of words (read, rest, road) and in consonant clusters (strong, drink).
I am not a native speaker, but [STRIKE]as[/STRIKE] i know it is not pronounced when it comes at the end of words as in (teacher, actor).

We have already established in posts 2, 3 and 4, that it is pronounced at the end of words in some dialects of British English, and, when it is followed by a vowel, in most dialects.

 

[birdeen's call]

And another simple answer: they pronounce it as well when it is initial (run, raw, real) and in consonant clusters (strong, bring, frown).

Not in all of them: the "r" in "storm" is silent.

 

[BobK]

Not in all of them: the "r" in "storm" is silent.

I think K was talking about consonant clusters that come before a vowel (as in his examples). Although it looks like a consonant cluster, the '-rm' of 'storm' isn't one (in a phonological sense). (Of course, the dialectal variaations already noted do sound the r - indeed there are some that insert a schwa between the r and the m).

b

 

[birdeen's call]

I think K was talking about consonant clusters that come before a vowel (as in his examples). Although it looks like a consonant cluster, the '-rm' of 'storm' isn't one (in a phonological sense). (Of course, the dialectal variaations already noted do sound the r - indeed there are some that insert a schwa between the r and the m).

I don't understand. Isn't it a consonant cluster for a Californian person, for example? It's not for a speaker of a non-rhotic accent of course, but that was my point. Do you mean that I shoud have taken "stormed" as an example?

In which accents is there a schwa between the "r" and the "m" in "storm"? It doesn't sound unnatural to me but I can't recall any particular accent that does that.

 

[BobK]

I don't understand. Isn't it a consonant cluster for a Californian person, for example? It's not for a speaker of a non-rhotic accent of course, but that was my point. Do you mean that I shoud have taken "stormed" as an example? I was just defending K's examples, and I'd bet myself I wouldn't be the first to say 'non-rhotic'!

In which accents is there a schwa between the "r" and the "m" in "storm"? It doesn't sound unnatural to me but I can't recall any particular accent that does that.

bhai would know for sure, but I think the Irish 'form' sounds like 'forum'.

Something similar happens with another liquid. Irish 'film' definitely has two syllables.

b

 

[5jj]

Something similar happens with another liquid. Irish 'film' definitely has two syllables.b

So does Geordie 'film', but I think Geordie 'form' is only one syllable.

 

[BobK]

bhai would know for sure, but I think the Irish 'form' sounds like 'forum'.

...

Maybe it's just my ear. It could be that the r is syllabic. Since doing my CELTA I've taken to hearing schwa everywhere, as is the ELT fashion, where there are really syllabic consonants.

b