One of the key differences in pronunciation between British and American English is the ‘r’ sound. Have you ever noticed that Brits don’t pronounce the ‘r’ sound at the end of an individual word but Americans do?

There are situations when the Brits do pronounce the ‘r’ and this falls into the realm of what is known as liaison in phonetics.

In this post we will try to explain why and give some examples.

This is very useful to non-native speakers who want to sound more natural in foreign language.

The first thing we must do is explain the basic concept of ‘Liaison’ in respect of pronunciation. In the study of phonetics, liaison refers to the phenomenon of linking sounds between words in connected speech. Specifically, it involves the pronunciation of a normally silent final consonant at the end of a word when the following word begins with a vowel sound. Liaison is commonly found in many languages, including French, English, and Japanese, and it plays an important role in shaping the overall sound of spoken language.

In British accents apart from one or two exceptions the ‘r’ sound is not pronounced at the end of syllables or words. This is sometimes referred to as the ‘historical r’. But there are situations when the ‘r’ sound is pronounced and this is when the following word begins with a vowel sound

Here are some examples of this phonetic pattern:

Door ‘r’ Arch, Floor ‘R’ Incline, Car ‘R’ Indicator, Four ‘R’ Oranges, Air ‘R’ Opening,

In conclusion, liaison is an important aspect of phonetics that plays a significant role in shaping the sound of spoken language. Liaison is the concept of adding sounds when linking to the following word. Liaison helps to create a smooth flow of sounds between words and can help to clarify the meaning of a sentence. In this post we have had a brief look at the ‘linking r’ which is just one example of liaison in terms of pronunciation. While it can be a challenge for language learners to master, a good understanding of liaison is essential for achieving fluency and natural-sounding speech.

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