Why is it called the American R?

rombi   Mon May 03, 2010 4:03 pm GMT
Canadians use the same R sound. And other dialects of the English language use the R sound as well. Why is it specifically called the American R?
American   Mon May 03, 2010 4:10 pm GMT
Because nobody cares the Canadians.
Zadory   Mon May 03, 2010 4:32 pm GMT
because Canadians are in America too.
rombi   Mon May 03, 2010 4:38 pm GMT
Zadory, you're right. I put "Canadians use the same R sound", because I knew some people like the person who posted above you would think I'm only talking about Americans in the United States. I know Canadians are in America, too.

But there are also some accents of British English that use the "American R" sound. There aren't many, but there are some. There are also plenty of dialects of English that use that sound as well. So why call it specifically the "America R" sound?
rombi   Mon May 03, 2010 4:40 pm GMT
*"AmericaN R" sound... sorry
Conjecturer   Mon May 03, 2010 4:47 pm GMT
Maybe because RP is non-rhotic.
K. (not K)   Mon May 03, 2010 9:00 pm GMT
Some Americans (and I suppose, Canadians) actually have an "R" sound at the end of words-a real R sound, an R that won't please everyone, but one that Russians will recognize as an "R".

But the American R is not everywhere in the US. There are at least two variants that I know of in the South and I am not even a linguist.
void   Mon May 03, 2010 10:39 pm GMT
Actually, it's not the same sound.
/r/ in RP is pronounced [ɹ]
/r/ in GA is pronounced [ɻ]

That's what the "American R" is.
danny in russia   Tue May 04, 2010 12:14 am GMT
What's your problem? You hate America and all things American - just admit it.
Trimac20   Tue May 04, 2010 1:28 am GMT
Are you refer to rhoticism? I've not heard it called the 'American R' before. It's a feature of American, Canadian, Jamaican, West of England, Irish, Scottish (to some degree) and certain other ESL accents like the Phillipines.
rombi   Tue May 04, 2010 3:25 am GMT
Danny in Russia... I AM an American from the United States. Born and raised here, and planning on staying. Why would I hate myself, my country, and all things American? It's not smart to jump to conclusions, buddy.
zxcvuiop   Tue May 04, 2010 7:00 am GMT
Are you talking about the retroflex R? If so then people are simply being inprecise I suppose.
bet I'm right   Tue May 04, 2010 10:19 am GMT
Retroflex R has its roots in West Country and Irish accents so definetely it is not an American innovation, the same applies to flapped t's, ,dark L's and diphthongs : /oʊ, aɪ, aʊ/, and ash vowel...
Damian in Falkirk   Tue May 04, 2010 2:47 pm GMT
***But there are also some accents of British English that use the "American R" sound***

Ummmm.....shouldn't you have said that with the nationalities reversed? Which used that characteristic "R" sound first do you think? Why not go the whole hog and say that a boatload of Americans crossed the Atlantic, landed on the Hoe at Plymouth and hey presto! - twelve months later every West Countryman and woman and their dog in that part of England were all chattering away as rhotic and as drawling as you like! ;-)

Shall I mention the breaking of the Enigma code here or not? Nah - I'd better not...we're in enough of the brown stuff with our American cousins as it is - BP and massive oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico and all that sort of thing.....

It was interesting to read in our national papers here in the UK today that many Americans had no idea what BP stood for until this horrible event happened......does that mean another Tea Party scenario do you think?
bet I'm right   Tue May 04, 2010 3:08 pm GMT
Damian are your R's rhotic? Just wondering...