Meanings
plural rhotacisms
- countableuncountableAn exaggerated use of the sound of the letter R.
- countablehuman sciencesA linguistic phenomenon in which a consonant changes into an R; rhotacization.
- countableuncountableThe inability to pronounce the letter R; derhotacization.
For example: r’s may become burrs or guttural grunts or w’s or l’s (rhotacism); […]
1970, Leland E. Hinsie, Robert Jean Campbell, Psychiatric Dictionary, Oxford University Press, page 7112 more examples
From the analysis of Kana writings, hypothesizes that the inability to establish a stable… […] The correction of rhotacism by means of an electric vibrator.
1976: Deafness, Speech, and Hearing Publications, Inc., of Gallaudet College & the American Speech and Hearing Association, DSH Abstracts, volumes 16–17 (1976–1977), page 289 (Deafness Speech and Hearing Publications)It is universally accepted that the rhotacism, a defective utterance of the /r/ sounds, is usually the last and most difficult American English consonant to correct functionally. I use two methods to help correct the rhotacism.
2005: Bernard Fogel, PhD, CCC-SLP, Exercising the Rhotacism in Absence of Pathology (ADVANCE)
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greek*ῥωτακισμός
- New Latinrhōtacismus
- Englishrhotacism
From New Latin rhōtacismus, from Ancient Greek *ῥωτακισμός (*rhōtakismós), from ῥωτακίζω (rhōtakízō, “to incorrectly use rho”), from ῥῶ (rhô, “rho (the Greek equivalent of r)”) in analogy with ἰωτακίζω (iōtakízō, “to incorrectly use iota”); itself from ἰῶτα (iôta) in analogy with ἀττικίζω (attikízō, “talk like an Athenian”). By surface analysis, rho + -tacism.
More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque errotazismo
- errotazismolinguistic sound change
Catalan rotacisme
- rotacismelinguistic sound change
Czech rotacismus, ráčkování
- rotacismusexaggerated use of the sound of the letter R
- ráčkováníexaggerated use of the sound of the letter R
- rotacismuslinguistic sound change
- rotacizmuslinguistic sound change
- ráčkováníinability to pronounce the letter R
Dutch rotacisme
- rotacismelinguistic sound change
Esperanto rotaismo
- rotaismolinguistic sound change
Finnish äänteenmuutos R:ksi, rotasismi
- äänteenmuutos R:ksilinguistic sound change
- rotasismilinguistic sound change
- ärrävikainability to pronounce the letter R
French rhotacisme
- rhotacismelinguistic sound change
German Rhotazismus
- Rhotazismuslinguistic sound change
Greek ρωτακισμός
- ρωτακισμός (rotakismós)linguistic sound change
Hungarian rotacizmus
- rotacizmuslinguistic sound change
Italian rotacismo, erre moscia
- rotacismolinguistic sound change
- erre mosciainability to pronounce the letter R
- rotacismoinability to pronounce the letter R
Latin rhōtacismus
- rhōtacismuslinguistic sound change
Polish rotacyzm, rotacyzm
- rotacyzmexaggerated use of the sound of the letter R
- rotacyzmlinguistic sound change
- rotacyzminability to pronounce the letter R
Portuguese rotacismo
- rotacismolinguistic sound change
Russian ротаци́зм, грасси́рование
- ротаци́зм (rotacízm)linguistic sound change
- грасси́рование (grassírovanije)inability to pronounce the letter R
- карта́вость (kartávostʹ)inability to pronounce the letter R
Slovak ráčkovanie, rotacizmus
- ráčkovanieexaggerated use of the sound of the letter R
- rotacizmuslinguistic sound change
Spanish rotacismo, rotacismo
- rotacismolinguistic sound change
- rotacismoinability to pronounce the letter R
Welsh tafod tew
- tafod tewinability to pronounce the letter R
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
rhotacism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhotacism
“rhotacism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhotacism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rhotacism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhotacism.
Source: rhotacism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.