Deletion of the /r/ is common in Frisian. The /r/ deletes regularly when it is postvocalic and followed by a coronal consonant. In other positions, the /r/ is an alveolar trill.
In the following Frisian words the /r/ is deleted:
bern child
earn eagle
farsk fresh
fers verse
gers grass
kaart card
koarn barley
koart short
swurd sword
wurd word
In a number of recent loanwords, the /r/ is not deleted. Here are examples:
eksport export
fjord fjord
konsert concert
modern modern
start start
The postvocalic /r/ followed by a coronal consonant is deleted in Frisian. This is an example of weakening or lenition. However, in recent loanwords the /r/ is maintained. Many dialects of English also delete postvocalic /r/, but Frisian only does so before coronal consonants.
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