Notice that after [t] and [d] the narrowing for [r] is particularly small, and therefore the friction of the breath particularly noticeable. Say such words as dry, drink, droll, try, trill, trap, and carefully observe the nature of the [r]. Notice also that after voiceless sounds the [r] often becomes voiceless [r̥], as in praise, try, increase. Sometimes tried almost sounds like chide, because the passage of the breath is not stopped and the vocal chords have not begun to vibrate. Try to utter a voiceless [r̥] by itself; practise the series [r r̥ r r̥ r].
There is also a peculiar variety of r found after g, as in great, green, grass. This r is a kind of palatal blade continuant, and its use should be avoided, as it is generally held to be affected.
In standard English the written r is only pronounced initially (as in red), between a consonant and a vowel (as in bread, angry), and between vowels, the second of which is not only written, but actually pronounced (as in very).[35]
It is not pronounced between a vowel and a consonant (as in arm, lord), nor when it is final in the spelling or followed by a vowel which is only written and not actually pronounced (as in bar, bare). Its place is in many cases taken by the neutral vowel [ə] (see § 38).
Observe that a final r is pronounced when the next word begins with a vowel. (Is there anything like this in French?) Thus we say better [betə], but [betər ən betə]; ever [evə], but [fər evər ənd evə]; here [hiə], but [hiᵊr ən ðɛːə]; stir up [stəːr ʌp], but [stəː ðə faiə]. There is, however, nowadays a tendency to leave even this r unpronounced.
The fact that such words as better have two forms, with and without [r], has led to the addition of [r] when there is no justification for it. Even educated people are often heard to pronounce the idea of it as [ði aidiər əv it]; The India Office sometimes becomes [ði indjər ɔfis]; china ornaments becomes [tʃainər ɔːnəmənts]; and clergymen have been known to say [vik´tɔːjər auə kwijn]. Similarly, in vulgar speech [ðə windər iz oupən], [pə´pɑːr əz gɔn aut], etc., are quite common.
There is an affected pronunciation of this [ə] which makes it approximate to a deep [ɑ]; the comic papers represent my dear fellow as "my deah fellah" to indicate the speech of a swell.
The substitution of [w] for [r] is a mannerism which should not be tolerated; it is the result of a bad habit, not of any defect of the organs of speech.
When a word contains the letter r twice, careless speakers incline to drop one of them; February becomes [febjuəri], temporarily [tempərili], library [laibri], literary [litəri], supernumerary [sjuwpənjuwməri], contemporary [kəntempəri]. Veterinary usually becomes [vetənri] or [vetnəri].