R-dropping facts for kids

R-dropping is when people speaking English do not pronounce the "r" sound after a vowel. For example, the words "car" and "card" might sound like "cah" and "cahd." This happens for many speakers in England and some parts of the United States, like the Boston area. However, these speakers usually pronounce the "r" if the next word starts with a vowel, such as in "car is." For them, "spa" and "spar" sound the same.

The "r" sound is kept in the English spoken by Scottish and Irish people, and in most of the U.S. and Canada. People who drop the "r" sound include most speakers in England, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

What is Rhoticity?

Red dots show major U.S. cities where the 2006 Atlas of North American English found 50% or more non-rhotic speech in at least one white speaker.

Red areas show where rural English accents kept the 'r' sound in the 1950s.

Red areas show where English dialects kept the 'r' sound in the late 20th century.

Linguists, who study language, call the way the "r" sound is used rhoticity. If a language or accent keeps the "r" sound after a vowel, it is called rhotic. If it drops the "r" sound, it is called non-rhotic. This difference helps us understand how different English accents developed around the world.

Related Language Topics

• Learn more about 'rhotic' on Wiktionary
• Learn more about 'non-rhotic' on Wiktionary

See also

In Spanish: Acento rótico y no rótico para niños