/r/ and /l/

Variable rhoticity

New Zealand English is usually described as being non-rhotic except for the Southland-Otago area where non-pre-vocalic /r/ is pronounced. Both characterizations leave something to be desired.

First, although it is true that standard New Zealand English is generally non-rhotic, there are two words which are frequently heard with a non-prevocalic /r/. The first of these is the name of the consonant ‘R’, and the second is the name of the country Ireland. These are both heard with [ɹ] across social classes and across regions.

Other words or phrases are heard with sporadic non-prevocalic /r/. Expressions and catchwords borrowed from American TV programmes or movies are frequently pronounced with a pseudo-American /r/. Such expressions include what-ever, wiener (as a term of abuse among children). This type of /r/-usage is clearly lexically driven.

Some types of popular music appear to use non-prevocalic /r/ more systematically. A recent study of New Zealand hip-hop music by one of our students found that non-prevocalic /r/ was used systematically after the NURSE vowel (bird, heard), but nowhere else. This is despite the fact that this type of music is usually produced by people of Maori or Pacific Island ethnicities, who have no obvious reason to be more rhotic than anyone else.

Finally, although it is true that the Southland-Otago region is more rhotic than other parts of New Zealand, the rhoticity is variable. It is particularly prevalent following the NURSE vowel, much rarer elsewhere (despite the fact that one of the words in which this type of pronunciation is most aped by the general populace is the word Gore, the name of the town perceived as being central to the area of rhoticity).