British R Pronunciation: Dropped R and Linking R
/ɑː/as in car
In RP, R is usually silent before a pause or consonant, but can link into a following vowel.
This is the non-rhotic RP pattern. Many British accents do pronounce R after a vowel. In RP, a following vowel can bring back a linking R: car engine.
Listen once, repeat the word, then use it in a sentence. Practise the dropped r.
Compare
carrr
Practice target
cah
What to listen for
Compare car before a pause with car engine, where R links into the next vowel.
How to practise
In car before a pause, finish on the vowel. In car engine, connect the R to the next vowel.
A short practice session
- Say car before a pause. Finish on the vowel.
- Say car park. The next sound is a consonant.
- Say car engine. Connect R to the following vowel.
Try it in a sentence
The car engine is warm.
Can you hear the difference between car park and car engine? Do not remove the R at the start of red or road.
Read a line for a free accent assessment, or follow the British accent learning guide.
Practise words
Hear how you do on car.
BritSpeech scores dropped r on your own voice, on your phone, in seconds, then offers exercises to practise it.