What is the articulation type for /r/?

The articulation type for /r/ is classified as a liquid sound. In phonetics, liquid sounds are characterized by their ability to flow and include /l/ and /r/. These sounds are produced with a relatively open configuration of the vocal tract, allowing air to flow freely around the tongue.

For the /r/ sound specifically, it can be articulated in a variety of ways depending on the language and dialect, often involving a unique tongue position that allows for the creation of rich acoustic properties. This quality of liquid sounds enables them to act as syllable nuclei, which is a distinctive aspect of their role in language compared to nasals, fricatives, or affricates.

In contrast, nasal sounds involve airflow through the nasal cavity, fricative sounds are produced by forcing air through a narrow constriction, creating turbulence, and affricate sounds are a combination of a stop and a fricative. Therefore, the classification of /r/ as a liquid sound helps highlight its unique characteristics in the phonetic landscape.