Exploring /r/ in African-American English

African American English (AAE) and Mainstream American English (MAE) differ in several ways, but today we're zeroing in on the use of the R sound. Here are some key points to consider:

Vowel Length and Vocalic /r/:

In African-American English, vowels are often held longer than in MAE, which impacts the vocalic /r/ (the R sound that occurs after a vowel). AAE is said to have 5-7 vowel sounds compared to MAE's 14, due to the shifting and merging of several vowel sounds. This is reffered to as the African American Vowel Shift/System, which affects the vocalic /r/ as well.

African American Vowel System in North Carolina (Khon 2014)

Deletion of Liquids:

AAE often features the deletion of liquids, including /r/ and /l/. For example:

• "Alright" can become "aight."

• "Floor" can become "flo."

• "Store" can become "sto."

• "Sister" can become "sista."

Non-Rhotic Production:

In African-American English, the /r/ sound is often not required after a vowel, leading to no-rhotic production of words. This means the /r/ is not pronounced, as in:

• "Deer" might sound like "deeyuh."

• "Bear" might sound like "bayuh."

• "Car" might sound like "cah."

• "Tired might sound like "tied."

This characteristic is known as derhotacization, where the phoneme combination no longer presents with /r/ coloring . However, it could easily be mistaken for the phonological process vowelization.

Cluster Rhotacization:

In certain regions, such as Memphis, Tennessee, and other regions in Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas, cluster rhotacization occurs. This is the insertion of /r/ typically before a /u/ sound, as heard in words like "Cuban" or "beautiful." This dialectal feature has gained attention through artists like Moneybagg Yo and Glorilla. You may have heard her pronunciation of "cruban on cruban" in her song "Yeag Glo!"

Centralized Front Vowels:

Front vowels can become centralized before an /r/. For example:

• "Married" becomes "murried."

• "Hairy" becomes "hurry."

• "Fair" becomes "fur."

• "There" becomes "thur."
  

Determining Cultural Differences vs. Disordered Speech

For speech-language pathologists (SLPs), distinguishing between a dialectal difference and a speech disorder is crucial, and can have long lasting effects. Here’s what you can do to determine between a difference or disorder in /r/ production:

1. Stimulability Testing:

• Assess the child’s ability to produce the /r/ sound in different positions within words (initial, medial, final). I've created a list specifically for stimulability testing for (possible) AAE speakers. The /r/ in AAE Stimulability Guide includes a list of words along with essential rules to remember.

1. Initial Position:

• The /r/ sound should always be present in the initial position of words in AAE. If a child can produce the sound here but often deletes in other positions, it may indicate a dialectal difference rather than a disorder.

1. Parental Input:

• I often get the question about whether to ask parents if they speak AAE at home. Although I see bidialectalism as very similar to bilingualism, there is a key difference here. They say that a language is a dialect with an army and a navy, which speaks to a difference in power. For someone who speaks Spanish or Chinese, they’ll check the box that they speak a second language, and you may ask that in intakes, etc. But because Black Americans historically have lacked power, our dialect is not respected as other languages are. This means we’re not educated on it, we don’t know the rules of the language we speak, and most of us wouldn’t say that we speak a different dialect or language at home because we’re not aware of the actual complexities of code-switching and our dialect as a whole.
  

1. Clinician’s Skills:

• Rely on your clinical skills to determine if an issue is dialectal or contextual. Conduct thorough stimulability testing and observations in different contexts to gather evidence.

Embracing Culturally Responsive Treatment

Culturally responsive treatment involves being open-minded and intentional in your learning. Here are some key points:

1. Curiosity Over Judgment:

• Approach sessions and interactions with families from a place of curiosity rather than judgment. This mindset helps build trust and understanding.

1. Acknowledging Differences:

• It’s important to acknowledge and discuss differences in race and dialects. This openness can enhance your connection with clients and their families.

1. AAE is Regional:

• Although we often discuss AAE as monolithic, there are various regional differences. There are characteristics that you may not have heard, but are common other places. However, because Black Americans have migrated all over the United States, there are many characteristics that orginated one place but are utilized outside of that region. This has increased significantly since the popularization of social media. Check out my AAE Reference Sheet for a larger overview of dialectal differences.

1. Diversity in AAE:

• Not every Black person speaks AAE, and not everyone who speaks AAE is Black. Additionally, AAE shares characteristics with other dialects, such as Southern English and Appalachian English, as well as some New England characteristics.

By understanding these nuances and approaching treatment with cultural responsiveness, SLPs can better serve their clients and support their unique linguistic needs.