What Does Rhotacism Mean?

1 : a defective pronunciation of r especially : substitution of some other sound for that of r. 2 linguistics : the historical change of a voiced consonant sound (such as the alveolar consonants \z\, \d\, \l\ or \n\) to an r-like consonant.

What causes rhotacism?

What Is the Cause of a Rhotacism? The cause of a rhoticism is unknown. In some cases, it may be linked to tongue-tie (ankyloglossia). Tongue-tie may limit the range of tongue movements, which is critical for pronouncing /r/.

Is rhotacism a disability?

Although Hodgson's way of speaking has been widely described as an "impediment", Mitchell points out that "rhotacism" is not classed as an impairment. Instead, it's merely a variation in use of "r".