LAUSR

Abstract The phoneme /r/ is particularly variable in Scottish English, and the phonetic realisation appears to be related to a number of linguistic and sociolinguistic factors. However, the relative importance of these factors, particularly for prevocalic /r/, remains unclear for the middle class in places other than major Scottish urban centres. The phonetic realisation of /r/ was analysed for middle-class speakers of the towns of Kinross and Dundee, in both prevocalic and non-prevocalic positions. It appears that the phonological environment has a decisive role in the distribution of the major variants, which are the alveolar tap and the postalveolar or retroflex approximant, as well as the vocalisation of /r/ in non-prevocalic position. The results indicate a change from the tap towards the approximant in Kinross, while Dundee remains more linguistically conservative.