Standard Lemma guide

non-rhotic

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /nɒnˈɹəʊtɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of an accent, most often one of English: not pronouncing the written letter "r" unless it is followed by a vowel, as in Received Pronunciation, most other accents of England, the Boston accent, traditional NYC English, many accents of southern Louisiana, Australian English, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • In a non-rhotic accent, the word 'sort' can be pronounced like the word 'sought'.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Germanic *ne Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h1óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-Germanic *nainaz Proto-West Germanic *nain Old English nān Middle English non ▲ Old English nān Old English nān- Middle English non- English non- English rhotacismbf. English rhotic English non-rhotic From non- + rhotic.