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rhotic

American  
[roh-tik] / ˈroʊ tɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a dialect of English in which the r is pronounced at the end of a syllable or before a consonant.

    Midwestern American English is rhotic, while Southern British English is not.

  2. of, relating to, or being an r- like sound.


noun

  1. a rhotic sound.

rhotic British  
/ ˈrəʊtɪk, rəʊˈtɪsɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. phonetics denoting or speaking a dialect of English in which postvocalic r s are pronounced

"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

  • rhoticity noun

Etymology

Origin of rhotic

rhot- ( rhotacism ) + -ic

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.

Researchers also said that while rhotic Blackburn and East Lancashire speakers may be in the minority in England, they were "in the majority across the English-speaking world", as North American, Scottish and Irish speakers also use that pronunciation, "as do many second language learners of English".

From BBC

Irish English is also rhotic, meaning the “r” is overpronounced.

From New York Times

While many areas in England held on to their rhotic origins, received pronunciation came to be seen as the ideal English accent; even spreading into Wales and Scotland.

From The Guardian

Voters don’t cast their ballots based on which candidates best trill the rhotic consonants in foreign leaders’ names.

From Slate

Last week a speech pathologist at Marquette University diagnosed whom with "rhotic replacement disorder"?

From Slate