Non-Rhotic Tendencies

Traditional NYC English is non-rhotic — the /r/ sound is dropped after vowels (but kept before vowels).

R-dropping examples:

• "car" → /kɑː/ ("cah")
• "here" → /hɪə/ ("hee-uh")
• "park" → /pɑːk/ ("pahk")
• "water" → /wɔːtə/ ("waw-tuh")

R kept before vowels:

• "red" → /ɹɛd/ (R kept — it's before a vowel)
• "car accident" → "cah-r-accident" (R comes back because next word starts with vowel)

Note: Many younger NYC speakers are becoming more rhotic (keeping their R's), especially in professional settings.