0 used to refer to a type of English, in which an /r/ is pronounced in all situations where there is an "r" in spelling:
In a rhotic accent, an /r/ is pronounced at the end of "car".
Yet there are striking exceptions: picture has no rhotic ending in seven cases, while actor always has.
It seems that the rhotic ending is stronger and even exaggerated in monosyllabic words.
These differences in rhotic length had consequences for the segments' overall realization, as voicing, length, and manner are intimately related.
Furthermore, such reduced forms are attested in modern rhotic varieties, as the putative loss of final /r/ is not.
This next set of data shows that only the two central vowels are allowed before a rhotic in an unstressed syllable.
This is surprising if put in parallel with the next example actor, in which all the endings are rhotic.
It is never, though, followed by the articulation of a final rhotic consonant.
Assuming that rhotic preservation correlates with stress preservation, this provides a window on the stress patterns of these words, at least in one dialect.
