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A 'linking consonant' is a consonant that is inserted between two vowels.

Contents

Linking R

Intrusive R

Examples of intrusive R

References

See also

Linking R

The 'linking R' is a phonological phenomenon of most (but not all) non-rhotic dialects of English. In all non-rhotic dialects, the phoneme does not appear in the coda of a syllable (so ''spar'' is pronounced the same as ''spa''). In dialects that possess linking R, if a following word begins with a vowel, will be realized at the onset of the next word. Thus, for example, the R in ''he'r'e'' would not be pronounced in ''here they are'', but it would be pronounced in ''here I am''; the R at the end of ''far'' would only be pronounced if the next word begins with a vowel, as in ''far away'' or ''far off''. In other words, in a non-rhotic dialect with linking R, is retained only if it is followed by a vowel, including across word boundaries.

Intrusive R

Some (but not all) dialects that possess linking R also possess 'intrusive R'. In a dialect with intrusive R, an epenthetic is added after a word that ends in a non-high vowel or glide if the next word begins with a vowel, regardless of whether the first word historically ended with or not. For example, intrusive R would appear in ''Asia'' and Africa'' or ''the idea'' of it'': ''Asia'' and ''idea'' did not historically end in , but the is inserted epenthetically to prevent a hiatus. Intrusive R also occurs within words before certain suffixes, such as ''draw''ing'' or ''withdraw''al''. This is now so common in England that by 1997 the linguist John C. Wells considered it objectively part of Received Pronunciation, but he noted that it was still stigmatized as an incorrect pronunciation,^[1] as it is or was in some other standardized non-rhotic accents.

Examples of intrusive R

★ "I saw(r) a film today, oh boy" (The Beatles, "A Day in the Life")

★ "The law(r) is the law!" (Nigel Terry as King Arthur in the 1981 film ''Excalibur'')

★ "Brenda(r) and Eddie" (Billy Joel, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant")

★ "When Joanna(r) is here" (McFly, "Little Joanna"}

★ "Vodka(r) and tonics" (Elton John, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road")

★ In many recordings, Paul McCartney (former Beatle) would pronounce "Linder" when saying the name of his late wife, Linda McCartney.

★ "The idea(r) of perfection holds me" (The Cure, "Faith")

★ "In a champagne supernova(r) in the sky" (Oasis, "Champagne Supernova")

★ "Casanova(r) in Hell" (Pet Shop Boys, "Casanova in Hell")

★ "There's an orchestra(r) in May (The Servant, "Orchestra")

References

1. Whatever happened to Received Pronunciation?, by J.C. Wells, UCL

See also

★ Liaison (French)

★ Sandhi

★ R-colored vowel