rhotic r

Core Rule

R-controlled vowels occur when a vowel is followed by r, causing the vowel to lose its pure sound and merge with /r/. Common patterns include ar, er, ir, or, ur, where r dominates the vowel quality.

Articulation Guide

The tongue retracts slightly without touching the alveolar ridge; the tongue body lifts, lips relax or lightly round. Airflow is continuous with no clear vowel break.

Word Analysis

car /kɑːr/: a becomes a long, centralized /ɑr/. bird /bɜːrd/: ir shares the same sound as er and ur. for /fɔːr/: o shifts to an /ɔr/ sound.

Pitfalls

Do not pronounce the vowel separately before /r/, and avoid over-rolling the /r/. Focus on a single blended sound.