User:Jnestorius/rhotic spelling discrepancies

Normally, in a rhotic accents, there is an R in the spelling if and only if there is an /r/ ([ɹ ɚ ɝ] in the pronunciation. But sometimes not.

Conflation

Conflation of words which are homophones in non-rhotic accents but ought not to be in rhotic accents

• balmy—[ˈbɑrmi] (barmy)
• tortuous—[ˈtɔrtʃʊrəs] (torturous)
• foment—[fərˈmɛnt] (ferment)

• petition (partition)

Pronounced but not spelled

Standard

• colonel—[ˈkɜrnəl]

Nonstandard rhotic

• Chicago [ʃɪˈkɑrgoʊ], sacrament [ˈsɑrkrɪmn̩t], sacrifice [ˈsɑrkrɪfaɪs], sacristy [ˈsɑrkrɪsti], sacrilege [ˈsɑrkrɪlɪdʒ]
• familiar [fərˈmɪljər], sherbet [ˈʃɜrbərt]
• wash [wɔrʃ], Washington [ˈwɔrʃɪŋtən]
• toilet [ˈtɜrlət]

See also #Conflation section

Spelled but not pronounced

Excluding cases dependant on nonrhoticity of accent

Standard

• February
• turmeric (variant)
• worsted (variant)
• Worcester

Standard compressed

• quarter
• surprise
• paraphernalia
• particular
• sarsaparilla

Contraction unrepresented

• forecastle (cf. fo'c'sle)
• Featherstonehaugh (cf. Fanshaw)

Nonstandard

• barbiturate
• veterinary

See also #Conflation section

Metathesis

Standard

• iron

Standard variant

• comfortable
• hors d'oeuvres

Nonstandard

• irony, environment
• prevent, provide