Learn the American accent! An Introduction to the R-colored Vowels

[@alexramirez2904]

Woow what a beautiful English teacher !!

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi Alex - I hope my videos are helpful!

[@stillwatersrundeep2438]

Thank you so much for putting so much effort into making these outstanding videos. I truly appreciate it. All the best, miss/teacher.

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Awesome - thank you so much for your comment. It made my day :) I'm glad you like my videos!

[@ramzy-6566]

This video is important from first to last second. Thank you so much.

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Thanks, Ramzy! :)

[@ramzy-6566]

1:28 you said when the letter R comes after a vowel in the same syllable the R function as a vowel (Is that mean the letter R semi-vowels )

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Thank you for the question! No, the R is not a semi-vowel. It is still a consonant by definition, though when it occurs after a vowel, then it becomes part of the vowel and the "vowel + R" sound becomes one vowel sound. It functions like a vowel does in a word (i.e., it can force a syllable to occur). I hope this helped! :)

[@ramzy-6566]

@@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent Thank you.

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

@@ramzy-6566 You're welcome! :)

[@soheirabdelkarem1015]

جزاك اللهكل خير

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi soheir - Thank you! :)

[@ramzy-6566]

Great Introduction, I hope examples. Thank you so much.

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Glad you liked it! :)

[@ramzy-6566]

great video. i'm here again for practice.

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Nice! All of your practice will pay off! Keep it up! :)

[@WigenLevasseur]

Wonderful

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Thanks, Wigen! I'm glad you liked this video! :)

[@EnglishwithGuddi]

Great ❤️

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Thanks! Glad you liked the video! :)

[@vermeum]

Thank u for your wonderful explanation! I have a question! Why does ‘year’ and ‘or’ in ‘forward’ not use r-colored IPA?

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi hyfht - Thanks for your question! Both "year" and the "or" in "forward" do use R-colored vowels. I apologize if that wasn't clear in this video! :)

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

@@tricky_english Thanks for your reply. I learned that the EAR /ɪɹ/ vowel in "year" is an R-colored vowel, but it's possible that other teachers have a different philosophy on this topic!

[@احمدعمران-ص2و]

best teacher

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Thank you! Your comment made my day :)

[@ericauyeung5812]

You mentioned that "The R consonant will have more lip rounding than the ER vowel". However, in the comparing video clip, it seems to me that the video shows the opposite. I have watched the session several times. Is it a mixed-up of the video? Thank you very much !!!

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi Eric - Thanks for your comment! You are right that my lips may have been more rounded for the ER vowel and less rounded for the R consonant - that can happen. I should have been more clear in my explanation, so I apologize for that confusion :) The lip rounding of the ER vowel and the R consonant will also depend on a few other factors: 1) The ER/R sounds will be influenced by the sounds that surround it; 2) If the ER vowel is at the end of the word, then the next word in the sentence might influence the lip rounding; and 3) If the ER vowel or R consonant is in a stressed syllable or stressed word, then the lip rounding might be more noticeable because the muscles might be more tense. But in general, the R consonant will have more lip rounding (meaning, the lips will round in more of an "o" shape) than the ER vowel. I hope this helped! :)

[@lcH21279]

In 'Precise ' r is silient ?

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi lcH - Thanks for your question. No, the R in "precise" is not silent; it is pronounced like an R. I hope this helps! :)

[@dotdot7911]

is R colouring the same thing as post vocalic r?

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi Dot Dot - Thanks for your question! Yes, R-coloring and post-vocalic R are the same thing :)

[@jackwilliams5474]

But how is this different from other countries?

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi Jack - Thanks for your question! As I understand the rules of English phonology, all forms of English that use R-colored vowels in their pronunciations have "both" types of R sounds - R-colored vowels, where the R functions as part of the vowel, and the R consonant. I hope this helped! :)

[@jackwilliams5474]

@@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent Thanks, but can you give an example? I'm American, so that's about all I Know. But what would a non, r-colored vowel sound like?

[@Queen1001N]

In some countries (and some parts of the US like New York) they drop the r. So instead of “star” you may hear it as “stah.”

[@TheInkPitOx]

What I want to know is why it's called "colored"

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi Keith - Thanks for your question! The answer is too long to include in a comment, so I'd be happy to give you an in-depth answer in my live, weekly English class called Julie's Conversation Club (courses.sandiegovoiceandaccent.com/courses/julies-conversation-club). If you join the next meeting, I can answer your question in real-time. I hope to see you there!

[@whoiam2315]

❤ india

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hello @whoiam2315! Thanks for watching my video from India! :)

[@mohamedalhasy3418]

Intro theme sounded like N.W.A F da police

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi Mohamed - Haha! I agree! :)

[@tricky_english]

The Rr is ONLY a consonant in American English. There are NO R-colored vowels in American English but there ARE in British English

[@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent]

Hi Tricky ʲ English - Thank you so much for your comment! I appreciate learning about your point of view on this topic :)

[@tricky_english]

@@SanDiegoVoiceandAccent If there is ONE r between vowels, the vowel before r should be pronounced as a long sound. There are , of course, exceptions in English 😂

[@jrobinprescott]

R-coloured vowels are absent from many British dialects actually! Especially English and Welsh accents You’re thinking of non-rhotic forms of English, where Rs _become_ a vowel in some situations. That’s a totally different thing to an R-coloured vowel, which most rhotic accents (American included) definitely use a lot

[@tricky_english]

@@jrobinprescott The Rr is only a consonant sound in rhotic accents.

[@jrobinprescott]

@@tricky_english Not quite true, the R is still a consonant in non-rhotic accents when its before a vowel But that's besides the point, because R-coloured vowels are generally found in _rhotic_ accents regardless! An R-coloured vowel happens when a consonant R merges with a preceding vowel. This usually only happens in (some) rhotic accents, for example General American and most Irish dialects