Vocalic R
The /r/ sound that comes after a vowel in a syllable is called the vocalic R. People who speak with a non-rhotic accent pronounce just the prevocalic R, but people with a rhotic accent, like most Americans, pronounce both prevocalic and vocalic R. The tongue position for prevocalic R and vocalic R is exactly the same. Their difference is in the way the tongue transitions. For the prevocalic R, the tongue starts at the /r/ position and then /r/ is produced as the tongue transitions out from that position to the succeeding vowel. For the vocalic R sound, the tongue starts at a vowel position, and then /r/ is produced as the tongue transitions out from that position to the succeeding /r/ position. In doing so, the vocalic R can control the preceding vowel sound. For this reason, American elementary school teachers call the vowel sounds before the vocalic R the r-controlled or r-colored vowels, which we learned in the chapter on vowels. To recap, these are some words with r-colored vowels.
Vocalic R words
ER (/ər/, /ɜr/(= stressed /ər/)):
fur, butter, never, whisper, spider, stir, together, teacher, dinner, mixture
AR (/ɑr/):
car, star, far, tar, car, farm, alarm, barn, yarn, tarp, harp
AIR (/eər/):
stair, stare, share, fare, tear, bear, where, bare, square, lair, dare, care
IRE (/aɪər/):
choir, fire, flier, umpire, dryer, sire, mire, dire, liar, buyer, hire, wire, empire, admire, vampire
EAR (/ɪər/):
beer, fear, steer, year, jeer, hear, near, pier, spear, cheer, gear, disappear, pioneer, souvenir
OR (/ɔr/):
bore, core, adore, shore, pore, store, floor, more, score, chore
AUR (/aʊər/):
sour, hour, flour, flower, cower, devour, glower, power, shower, tower
/r/ sentences
These are sentences with the r sound.
I saw a rainbow while I was listening to the radio eating raisins and radishes
Ralph listens to rock-n-roll while he paints a raccoon holding a rose.
The car is running out of fuel and has a flat tire.
The four-year lobster we had for dinner had too much pepper.
A volunteer with long hair kept score and played guitar.
A girl and a gorilla wearing a red shirt are playing marbles.
The bear found berries in the forest.
I like grapes and carrots but not on my hamburger with French fries.
I need a spare tire.
The air feels really hot upstairs.
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