Re: initial /dr/ & /tr/

Hi!

Reilly Schlaier writes:
> i pronounce them as [dZr] and [tSr]
> anybody else do that?
I am sure you mean [tSr\]?  (The rhotic is not an alveolar trill, as
you wrote, is it?)

If so, probably many do that.  The [Z] and [S] are epenthetic sounds
that creep in because the [r\] is probably a postalveolar approximant
for you, i.e., it is pronounced just where the [Z] and [S] are.

I mentioned once that there are some German dialects that have an
alveolar approximant for their /r/, which sounds quite similar to a
typical postalveolar English /r/ (because the dialect isn't
well-known, speakers are sometimes mistaken to be from America,
speaking 'very good German'...).  In these dialects, the /tr/ is
[ts_ar\], i.e., an (apical) alveolar fricative creeps in.

The phenomenon is quite common, because when you have a stop before an
approximant, you need to open the stop to reach the approximant
'passing' through a degree of more friction -- a fricative.  It is
quite natural if you build up a little pressure during the closure of
the stop.

**Henrik

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