The rhotic variety of English and the non-rhotic variety are two distinct varieties of the English language. But what exactly does this mean, and where exactly do people speak these variants of English?
In Rhotic English, the letter r is pronounced in all instances in which it is orthographically present, such as in the words worker, bear, beer, barber, and brown. The letter r is pronounced in the first syllable (room) and between vowels (marrow) in an accent that is not rhotic, but it is not pronounced after the final vowel (beer, beard, hunter, tower). In these instances, the letter r is not pronounced, and the sound instead changes into a vowel unless another vowel comes after it.
Where exactly are these two dialects spoken?
Rhotic English, also known as the form of English in which the consonant r is always pronounced, is spoken in Scotland, Ireland, the south west of England, and certain areas of north Wales. It is also spoken in New England, with the exception of Boston and New York, which have their own dialects that are not rhotic.
The non-rhotic dialect, on the other hand, is spoken in countries in Africa that use English as their official language, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Caribbean, the southern states of the United States, and the majority of England and Wales.
Italians, French speakers, Spanish speakers, Portuguese speakers, and Arabs who have learned English as a second language have a tendency to speak English with a rhotic accent. Whereas Chinese and Japanese students are unquestionably not rhotic.
What English do you speak?
