Intrusive r

Combinations of plosive and fricative consonants

Lateral plosion

Nasal plosion

At the junction of the plosive consonants [t, d, p, b, k, g] with the nasal sonorants [m, n] the articulation of the sonorant starts when the articulation of the plosive consonant is not yet finished. As a result, instead of removing the obstruction in the mouth cavity the air stream passes through the nasal cavity producing the effect of a nasal plosion.

e. g.: shouldn't, wouldn't. Meet my aunt.

At the junction of a plosive consonant with the lateral sonorant [1] the plosion is heard during the pronunciation of the sonorant as the air stream passes along the sides of the tongue, lowered for the articulation of [1]. This phenomenon is known as lateral plosion:

e. g.: place, blow, glance, kettle, I'd like...

When a plosive consonant precedes a fricative consonant in a word or at a junction of words it has its release during the pronunciation of the fricative. This phenomenon is the result of close coarticulation of adjacent consonants in English and is called fricative plosion:

e. g,: let’s, wha’s, kinds, upside, stops, walks.

5. Alveolar consonants before [, ]

At the junction of the alveolar consonants [t, d, n, 1, s, z] and the interdental consonants [, ] regressive assimilation affecting the place of articulation is observed: the alveolar consonants are represented by their dental variants (allophones): ninth, sixteenth, about the text

6. Combinations of consonants with [w]

Consonants preceding [w], especially in a stressed syllable, are lip-rounded (labialized), i. e. regressive assimilation affecting the position of lips takes place: twist, quarter, switch, dweller. When the consonant [w] is preceded by a voiceless consonant there is also some devoicing of the sonorant (progressive assimilation affecting the work of the vocal cords). The devoicing is especially strong after [t, k] in a stressed syllable and is weaker in unstressed syllables and at a syllable or word boundary. Thus in the clusters [tw, kw, sw] double (reciprocal) assimilation takes place: twenty, quiet, sweep.

7. LINKING [r]

When a word ending in [ə] (including [iə], [ɛə], etc.),' [a:], [ɔ:] or [ɜ:] is immediately followed by a word beginning with a vowel, the sound [r] is very often inserted at the end of the first word joining it to the next one. When the spelling of the word ends in the letter "r" (or "-re"), the inserted r-sound is called the linking [r].

When there is no "r" in spelling, the inserted r-sound is called the intrusive [r] (e. g., the idea^[r]^ of it). Learners of English are generally not recommended to use the intrusive [r], while the linking [r] is recognized as a typical feature of the English Standard pronunciation, e. g.: 'never again ['nevər a'gein], 'centre of the city ['sentər əv thə siti]: Notice, however, the absence of linking [r] in such "inconvenient" word sequences as 'a roar of laughter', 'an error of judgement. [ə'rɔ: əv la:ftə].

9.Combinations of voiceless consonants with [r] [tr, pr, kr, str, skr, 6r, fr, sr]

In the clusters of voiceless consonants with the sonorant [r] complete or partial devoicing of the sonorant takes place — progressive assimilation affecting the work of the vocal cords. The sound [r] is completely or almost completely devoiced when it is preceded by a voiceless plosive consonant [p, t, k] in a stressed syllable: train, pride, cry.

In an unstressed position, at a word boundary or when [p, t, k] are preceded by [s] or some other fricative consonant the devoicing of [r] is partial: waitress, temperature, spread, quite right. A similar effect (of partial devoicing) both in stressed and unstressed syllables is produced when [r] is immediately preceded by a fricative consonant: friend, Geoffrey, shrewd, three, fruit.

10. Combinations of alveolar and interdental consonants with [r] [tr, dr, 0r, 6r]

In some of these clusters assimilation affecting the place and the manner of articulation can be observed. Thus under the influence of the post-alveolar [r] the alveolar con­sonants [t, d] in the clusters [tr, dr] become post-alveolar. The clusters [tr, dr] are actually characterized by double (re­ciprocal) assimilation because the sonorant [r] is modified as well: under the influence of the noise consonants [t, d] it be­comes fricative, and after [t], as was mentioned above, it is also devoiced.

In the clusters [0r, 6r] the post-alveolar frictionless sound [r] is often replaced by an alveolar tap, or a flapped variety of [r]: a single brief tap is made by the tip of the tongue on the teeth ridge. In the cluster [0r], besides, there is partial devoicing of the sonorant [r].

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