Brazilian Veneto (BV), an understudied variety of Veneto spoken in several areas of Brazil, has only one rhotic phoneme, which has been described as alternating between [r] and [ɾ] (e.g., Frosi & Mioranza, 1983). I investigate whether rhotic variation in BV is conditioned by prosodic factors (i.e., position in the syllable, position in the word, and stress) through an analysis of rhotic duration based on data from a naming task. I hypothesize that stronger prosodic positions yield longer rhotics (i.e., trills). The results overall confirm this hypothesis, with longer rhotics favored in stressed, word-initial singleton onsets. Participants’ productions are also analyzed qualitatively, revealing that rhotic variation involves not only the production of trills and taps, but also approximants and fricatives. Potential effects of contact with Portuguese on BV rhotic variation are discussed.

In the previous chapters, we examined the vowel inventories across varieties of English, noting that historical changes in English, as well as the influence of different languages, have resulted in substantial differences in how English is spoken around the world.We also mentioned that rhoticity – the production of the ‘r’ sound after a vowel in words such as car and hear – impacts the number of vowels in different varieties of English.Rhoticity is one of the main phonological features distinguishing different varieties; therefore, in this chapter, we will discuss rhoticity in more depth. The chapter first focuses on defining and measuring rhoticity, particularly in terms of formants, which were introduced in Chapter 2. A detailed discussion of both historical and current patterns of rhoticity in varieties of English is then presented. The chapter also discusses /r/-sandhi in varieties of English, and the relationship between /r/-sandhi and rhoticity.

In the final section of the chapter, you will be guided through exercises designed to check your understanding of the content in the chapter. You will also be guided through an analysis of rhoticity in your own English.