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rhotacism

American  
[roh-tuh-siz-uhm] / ˈroʊ təˌsɪz əm /

noun

  1. Historical Linguistics. a change of a speech sound, especially (s), to (r), as in the change from Old Latin lases to Latin lares.

  2. excessive use of the sound (r), its misarticulation, or the substitution of another sound for it.

rhotacism British  
/ ˈrəʊtəˌsɪzəm /

noun

  1. excessive use or idiosyncratic pronunciation of r

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • rhotacist noun
  • rhotacistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of rhotacism

1825–35; < Greek rhô rho + (io)tacism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Gorman's own experience with a speech impediment, a common pronunciation difficulty known as rhotacism, only further echoes this emergent theme.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.