Voiced dental and alveolar trills

A voiced alveolar trill is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents dental, alveolar, and postalveolar trills is Template:Angbr IPA. It is commonly called the rolled R, rolling R, or trilled R. Quite often, Template:Angbr IPA is used in phonemic transcriptions (especially those found in dictionaries) of languages like English and German that have rhotic consonants that are not an alveolar trill. That is partly for ease of typesetting and partly because Template:Angbr is the letter used in the orthographies of such languages.

In many Indo-European languages, a trill may often be reduced to a single vibration in unstressed positions. In Italian, a simple trill typically displays only one or two vibrations, while a geminate trill will have three or more.<ref>Template:SOWL</ref> Languages where trills always have multiple vibrations include Albanian, Spanish, Cypriot Greek, and a number of Armenian and Portuguese dialects.Template:Citation needed

People with ankyloglossia may find it exceptionally difficult to articulate the sound because of the limited mobility of their tongues.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp

Voiced alveolar trill

Features

Features of a voiced alveolar trill:

• Its place of articulation may be:
  • dental (behind the upper front teeth),
  • alveolar (at the alveolar ridge), or
  • post-alveolar (behind the alveolar ridge).
• It is most often apical, which means it is pronounced with the tip of the tongue.Template:Sfnp

Occurrence

File:Alveolar-trill-slomo.webm

Dental

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Hungarian<ref>Template:Harvp, Template:Harvp</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'that way'	Laminal dental. See Hungarian phonology
Marshallese<ref>Template:Harvp</ref>		lang}}<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || {{#invoke:IPA|main}} || 'to be small' || Palatalized. The language's two other rhotic phonemes, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} (velarized) and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} (rounded), are post-alveolar.
Romanian<ref>Template:CitationTemplate:Dead link</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'quickly'	Apical. See Romanian phonology
Russian<ref name="SOWLRUS">Template:Harvp; cited in Template:Harvp</ref>		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	main}}	'zealous'	Apical, palatalized. Usually only a single vibration, presumably due to the palatalization.<ref name="SOWLRUS"/> It contrasts with a post-alveolar trill. See Russian phonology

Alveolar

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Afrikaans	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'red'	May be a tap Template:IPAblink instead.Template:Sfnp See Afrikaans phonology
Arabic	Modern Standard	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	main}}	'saw' (verb)	In free variation with Template:IPAblink by many speakers.
Aragonese		lang}}	main}}	'basement'	Allophone of /ɾ/.
Armenian	EasternTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	Template:Audio-IPA	'cannonball'	Template:Cn
Asturian		lang}}	main}}	'tool'	Allophone of /ɾ/.
Bengali		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	main}}	'night'	More commonly [[[:Template:IPA link]] ~ Template:IPA link] for most speakers. May occur word-initially; as against {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, which occurs medially and finally. See Bengali phonology
Breton		lang}}	main}}	'king'	Dominant in and around Léon and Morbihan while many other dialects have adopted the voiced uvular fricative. See Breton phonology
Bulgarian		lang}}	main}}	'work'	See Bulgarian phonology
Chuvash		арăслан/araslan	[arəs'lan]	'lion'	Template:Cn
CzechTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'chlorine'	main}}; may be syllabic. See Czech phonology
Danish	Few speakers of the Jutlandic dialectTemplate:Sfnp	Template:Example needed			main}} in standard Danish. See Danish phonology
Dutch	Standard	lang}}	main}}	'window'	See Dutch phonology
English	Scottish	curd	main}}	'curd'	Only some dialects. Corresponds to [[[:Template:IPA link]] ~ Template:IPA link] in others. See English phonology
	Welsh<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	bright	main}}	'bright'	Some dialects under Welsh influence. Corresponds to {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in others.
Estonian		lang}}	main}}	'floor'	See Estonian phonology
Finnish		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'raw'	See Finnish phonology
Greek	Standard<ref name="Arvaniti2007">Template:Harvp</ref>	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	main}}	'artos'	main}}. Usual in clusters, otherwise a tap or an approximant.<ref name="Arvaniti2007"/> See Modern Greek phonology
	CypriotTemplate:Sfnp<ref>Template:Citation</ref>	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	main}}	'north'	main}}.
Hindustani	Hindi	lang}} / Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'stone'	See Hindustani phonology
	Urdu	lang}} / Template:Transliteration
Indonesian		lang}}	main}}	'vibrate'	See Indonesian phonology
ItalianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'earth'	See Italian phonology
Japanese	Shitamachi dialect	{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'from'	Allophone of /ɾ/. See Japanese phonology.
	Kansai dialect
Kele<ref name="Ladefoged2005">Template:Harvp</ref>		{{#invoke:IPA|main}}		'leg'
Khmer		lang}} / Template:Transliteration	main}}	'fish' or 'three'	See Khmer phonology
KyrgyzTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'song'
LatvianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'horn'	See Latvian phonology
Lithuanian		lang}}	main}}	'and'	See Lithuanian phonology
Malay	Standard	کورڠ / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'less'	main}}], or more commonly, flap {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Silent in word-final position for speakers of 'schwa-varieties'. See Malay phonology
	Brunei				Corresponds to Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink in other Malay varieties
	Sabah
Malayalam		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'rock'	See Malayalam phonology
Mandarin	Huguang Southwestern Mandarin	lang}}	main}}	'saw'	lang}} in various localities, including by not limited to Template:Ill (in Jingzhou),<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Zhongxiang,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Yicheng, Jingmen, and Jiangling.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Nepali		lang}}/ghórra	main}}	'drawer'	See Nepali phonology
PolishTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'step'	Usually realized as Template:IPAblink. See Polish phonology.
Portuguese		lang}}	main}}	'mouse'	main}}. Many northern dialects retain the alveolar trill, and the trill is still dominant in rural areas. See Portuguese phonology and Guttural R.
Scots		lang}}	main}}	'bright'
Scottish Gaelic		lang}}	main}}	'false'	Velarized. Pronounced as a trill at the beginning of a word, or as rr, or before consonants d, t, l, n, s; otherwise a voiced alveolar tap. Contrasts with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} intervocally and word-finally. See Scottish Gaelic phonology
Serbo-CroatianTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'cape'	May be syllabic.Template:Sfnp See Serbo-Croatian phonology
SlovakTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'neck'	May be a tap, particularly when not syllabic.
SloveneTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'rice'	Also described as tap Template:IPAblink,Template:Sfnp and variable between trill {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and tap Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See Slovene phonology
SpanishTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'dog'	main}}. See Spanish phonology
Swedish	Some West coast and Northern dialects	lang}}	main}}	'good'	See Swedish phonology
Tagalog		lang}}	main}}	'rambutan'	main}}, especially with more conservative speakers.<ref>Schachter and Reid (2008)</ref> See Tagalog phonology
Tamil		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'bird'	See Tamil phonology
Thai	Standard	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	Template:Audio-IPA	'Chonburi'
Titan<ref name="Ladefoged2005"/>		{{#invoke:IPA|main}}		'girls'
Ukrainian		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	Template:Audio-IPA	'motion'	See Ukrainian phonology
Welsh		lang}}	main}}	'December'	Contrasts with the voiceless alveolar trill, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Welsh phonology
Wu Chinese	Xuanzhou Wu (Qiugong locality)	lang}}	main}}	'younger brother'	Found in various Xuanzhou localities, with that of Qiugong residential community, Template:Ill, Xuanzhou District, Xuanzhou prefecture provided. Equivalent to {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in other Wu varieties (cf. Shanghainese {{#invoke:IPA|main}}).<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Yiddish	Standard<ref name="Kleine">Template:Harvp</ref>	lang}}/brik	main}}	'bridge'	More commonly a flap Template:IPAblink; can be uvular {{#invoke:IPA|main}} instead.<ref name="Kleine"/> See Yiddish phonology
Zapotec	TilquiapanTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'go out (habitually)'	main}}.

Post-alveolar

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
CatalanTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'donkey'	main}}. See Catalan phonology
Gokana<ref name="Brosnahan">Template:Citation</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'we'	main}}, medially between vowels within the morpheme, and finally in the morpheme before a following vowel in the same word. It can be a postalveolar tap or simply Template:IPAblink instead.<ref name="Brosnahan"/>
Marshallese<ref>Template:Harvp</ref>		lang}}<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || {{#invoke:IPA|main}} || 'whale' || rowspan="2" | {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is velarized and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is rounded. Another rhotic phoneme in the language, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, is dental and palatalized.
		lang}}<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || {{#invoke:IPA|main}} || 'ebb tide'
Russian<ref name="SOWLRUS"/>		lang}}/igrať	main}}	'to play'	Contrasts with a palatalized dental trill. See Russian phonology

Variable

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
German	Standard<ref name="Mangold2005">Template:Harvp</ref> (chiefly areas with Upper German or Low German influence as well as immigrant speakers)	lang}}	main}}	'nonsense'	Varies between apical dental and apical alveolar; may be a tap instead.<ref name="Mangold2005"/> See Standard German phonology

Voiced alveolar fricative trill Template:Anchor

In Czech, there are two contrasting alveolar trills. Besides the typical apical trill, written r, there is another laminal trill, written ř, in words such as rybáři {{#invoke:IPA|main}} 'fishermen' and the common surname Dvořák. Its manner of articulation is similar to {{#invoke:IPA|main}} but is laminal and the body of the tongue is raised. It is thus partially fricative, with the frication sounding rather like {{#invoke:IPA|main}} but less retracted. It sounds like a simultaneous {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, and some speakers tend to pronounce it as {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, or {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. In the IPA, it is typically written as Template:Angbr IPA plus the raising diacritic, Template:Angbr IPA, but it has also been written as laminal Template:Angbr IPA.<ref>For example, Ladefoged (1971).</ref> (Before the 1989 IPA Kiel Convention, it had a dedicated symbol Template:Angbr IPA.) The Kobon language of Papua New Guinea also has a fricative trill, but the degree of frication is variable. The Kpwe language of Cameroon has been reported to have a similar sound.

Features

Features of the voiced alveolar fricative trill: Template:Fricative trill

• Its place of articulation is laminal alveolar, which means it is articulated with the blade of the tongue at the alveolar ridge.

Examples

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Czech<ref name="Dankovičová">Template:Harvp</ref><ref name="SOWLCZ">Template:Harvp</ref>Template:Sfnp<ref name="SiPoCh">Template:Harvp</ref>		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'four'	May be a non-sibilant fricative.<ref name="SOWLCZ"/> It contrasts with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Czech phonology
Dzongkha<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>		lang}}་/Template:Transliteration	main}}	'bone'	Usually released as a normal trilled [r], sometimes it has a slightly fricative character vaguely reminiscent of Czech ř. Dzongkha r is followed by the low register tone.
Kashubian<ref name="treder">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref> || {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} || {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'river'	Only some northern and northwestern speakers. Formerly common over the whole speaking area.<ref name="treder"/>
Ormuri	Standard (Kaniguram)	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	main}}	'summer'	Corresponds to /ʃ/ in Logar dialect.
Polish	Some dialects<ref name="Frykatywner">Template:Citation</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'river'	main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Present in areas from Starogard Gdański to Malbork<ref name="Frykatywner"/> and those south, west and northwest of them,<ref name="Frykatywner"/> area from Lubawa to Olsztyn to Olecko to Działdowo,<ref name="Frykatywner"/> south and east of Wieleń,<ref name="Frykatywner"/> around Wołomin,<ref name="Frykatywner"/> southeast of Ostrów Mazowiecka<ref name="Frykatywner"/> and west of Siedlce,<ref name="Frykatywner"/> from Brzeg to Opole and areas to the north,<ref name="Frykatywner"/> and roughly from Racibórz to Nowy Targ.<ref name="Frykatywner"/> Most speakers, as well as standard Polish, merge it with {{#invoke:IPA|main}},<ref name="Frykatywner"/> and speakers maintaining the distinction (which is mostly the elderly) sporadically do as well.<ref name="Frykatywner"/> See Polish phonology
Portuguese<ref name="Grønnum2005">Template:Harvp</ref>	European	lang}}	main}}	'the kidneys'	main}} for speakers who realize {{#invoke:IPA|main}} as {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.<ref name="Grønnum2005"/> See Portuguese phonology
Silesian	Gmina Istebna<ref name="Dąbrowska">Template:Harvp</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'(he) died'	Contrasts with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Merges with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in most Polish dialects.
	Jablunkov<ref name="Dąbrowska"/>	Template:Example needed
Slovak	Northern dialects<ref name="Frykatywner"/>Template:Sfnp	{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'river'	Only in a few dialects near the Polish border.<ref name="Frykatywner"/> See Slovak phonology
Spanish		lang}}	[ˈr̝änä]	'frog'	Possible realization of /r/ in some dialects, may also be realized as a non-sibilant alveolar fricative [ɹ̝-] or as a sibilant retroflex fricative [ʐ].
Chicahuaxtla Trique<ref>A. Raymond Elliott, P. Hernández Cruz & F. Sandoval Cruz, "Dàj guruguiˈ yumiguiì 'de como apareció la gente del mundo': leyenda en triqui de Chicahuaxtla". Tlalocan vol. 25, 2020, p.153.</ref>		lang}}	main}} or {{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'hand'	Initial allophone of /r/.
Tsakonian<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>		lang}}	[r̝inoðitɕi]	'justice of the peace'	/ʒ/ appears to have been a fricative trill in the 19th century, and [ʒ] survived latterly only in women's usage in Southern Tsakonian.

See also

• Index of phonetics articles

References

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External links

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