What does rhotic mean?
Rhotic describes speech in which the /r/ sound is pronounced after a vowel and before a consonant when it would not historically have been expected there. The distinction is especially familiar from the comparison between rhotic American English, in which "bird" ends with a sounded r, and non-rhotic varieties of British English, in which the same word has a vowel ending instead. Rhotic also refers to the accent itself and, less commonly, to a speaker who uses one. The term is chiefly used in linguistics, pronunciation teaching, and discussions of regional dialects. It should not be treated as a simple division between national varieties, since rhotic and non-rhotic accents occur in several countries, including Britain. The contrasting term "non-rhotic" is normally used when the opposite pronunciation pattern needs to be identified.
Denoting or relating to an accent in which the /r/ sound is pronounced after vowels and before consonants.
"The rhotic pronunciation of "farm" is typical of many American speakers."
Usually used in phonetics and sociolinguistics and normally contrasted with "non-rhotic."
An accent that pronounces /r/ after vowels and before consonants, or a speaker who uses such an accent.
"The interview explored how a rhotic can recognize another speaker's regional background."
The noun is less common than the adjective and is chiefly used in linguistic discussion.
Plural when referring to speakers who use rhotic accents.
"The survey compared several rhotics from different regions."
In a rhotic accent, "cart" keeps its r; in a non-rhotic accent, it can sound like "cah."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rhotic come from?
The word comes from Greek ῥῶτος, the letter r, together with the suffix -ic. It developed as a linguistic term for a variety of speech that preserves the consonantal pronunciation of r in positions where many other English accents have lost it. The related term "rhotacism" likewise refers to the pronunciation or development of an r sound.
Related word forms
How rhotic is actually used
This is primarily a term in phonetics and sociolinguistics. American English is overwhelmingly rhotic, as is most Canadian English, whereas many traditional British accents are non-rhotic; however, rhotic varieties also exist in Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Easily confused with rhotic
Rhotic is an adjective describing an accent that retains or restores the /r/ sound, whereas rhoticism names the linguistic phenomenon itself.
A rhotic accent pronounces /r/ after a vowel, while a non-rhotic accent does not, as in traditional forms of British English.