Consonants R vocalization and intrusive R 

Finally, a frequently noted feature of ENE, also exhibited by speakers in the Virginia and North Carolina hearth areas, is the vocalization (popularly referred to as “dropping”) of  in post-vocalic position. People talk about “New Hampsha” and “Woosta” for New Hampshire and Worcester. Similarly, Laferriere (1979: 431) indicates that the R-less production of START with [a:] is a marker of Boston speech. Linking R is produced: if the following word begins with a vowel, the R is rhotic (hear it). A related NE pattern is the appearance of inter-vocalic  where the standard spelling does not indicate it, referred to as intrusive R, as in  saw it.

According to Labov (1966), “the vocalization of  is eroding under the influence of the post World War II convention that constricted  is the appropriate standard for careful speech.” However, all three Boston speakers included in Labov (2000) show some vocalization of , and one Bostonian shows 50%. In contrast, most of WNE shows consistent .

Our recorded NH speakers vocalize  in reading the word list, in words such as CURE, LETTER, FORCE, NORTH, START, SQUARE, and NEAR. Variable vocalization is also evident in the recorded and transcribed narratives.