Rhoticity in English

Rhoticity is the pronunciation of /r/ after a vowel in English, as in car. English accents differ in where postvocalic /r/ is pronounced or omitted.

Postvocalic R: The /r/ sound occurring after a vowel within a word or at its end. Rhotic accents retain this sound in positions where non-rhotic accents may omit it.
English language in England: The varieties of English spoken in England, shaped by regional and historical sound change. Non-rhotic pronunciation spread in parts of England after postvocalic /r/ weakened.
Non-rhoticity: The omission of /r/ after a vowel when no vowel follows, in an accent or context that permits it. It is the contrasting pattern in accents that pronounce /r/ in car.
English dialectology: The study of regional and social variation among English dialects. Researchers use postvocalic /r/ to map and compare English accent patterns.
Linking R: An /r/ pronounced at a word boundary before a following vowel, though absent before consonants or pauses. It connects words in non-rhotic accents when the next word begins with a vowel.
Early Modern English: The form of English used from roughly the late fifteenth to the late seventeenth century. English pronunciation changed during this period as postvocalic /r/ began disappearing in some regions.
General American English: A broad label for widely recognized United States English pronunciation patterns, including postvocalic /r/. It contrasts with many non-rhotic British accents through its usual retention of postvocalic /r/.
Sociolinguistics: The study of relationships between language and social life, including variation and identity. Pronunciation of /r/ can vary with social class, style, and situation.
Intrusive R: An /r/ inserted between vowels across a word boundary where no historical r is present. It extends r-linking to words such as idea before a vowel.
London English: The varieties of English spoken in London, influential in the development of southern English pronunciation. London speech helped establish prestige non-rhotic pronunciation in England.

Linked from 2 pages