The distributional features of rhoticised vowels in Irish accents of English

Abstract

This study investigates features of rhoticised vowels in several Irish accents of English. It identifies the distribution of rhoticised vowels in each Irish accent. As the rhoticity lowers the frequencies of the third formant, the transition of the third formants in the rime (a vowel + /r/) duration is examined. This paper reveals that the vowels which are rhoticised vary from accent to accent. The NURSE vowel is rhoticised by the subjects from Dublin, Tyrone, Mayo, Cork, and Waterford, while the START vowel is rhoticised only by those from Mayo, Cork, and Waterford. Overall, central vowels, such as the NURSE and START vowels, are more likely to be rhoticised than other vowels.