rhoticity (10. 599)

Having previously explored the conventional understanding of vowels and consonants (see here and here), we appreciated this video via Miss Cellania on the plasticity of the r-sound and how under certain conditions it is classed by linguists with the usual range phonemes. A so called retroflex or R-coloured vowel, represented in IPA as ɚ, is rare overall but examples occur in the most widely spoken languages: dialectically in North American English and Canadian French in nurse, dollar, butter and third as well as in Mandarin in a phenomenon called Erhua (兒化—adding an extra r-sound to terminal syllables). In some cases, especially in non-rhotic regional variations, the r can be linking or intrusive—as in drawering or withdrawral. More from Otherwords in the presentation below.