r-dropping

[ ahr-drop-ing ]

adjective

, Phonetics.

1. (of certain pronunciations of English) characterized by the absence of the sound (r) in postvocalic position in the same syllable, as often encountered in speech identified with the southern and eastern United States and with most of England; r-less.

Word History and Origins

Origin of r-dropping¹

Probably earlier than 1960–65