Spelling in Gwoyeu Romatzyh - Rhotacization

Rhotacization

Erhua (兒化), or the rhotacized or retroflex ending, is indicated in GR by -el rather than -r, which is already used as a T2 marker. The appropriate tonal modification is then applied to the rhotacized form: for example shell (shìr) and ideal (yìdiǎnr).

Most other romanization systems preserve the underlying form, but GR transcribes the surface form as pronounced. These are the main principles followed when a syllable is rhotacized in GR:

1. -el replaces final -y
2. -l replaces final -i (in -ai and -ei) and -n, but -in becomes -iel
3. -el is added to -i and -iu
4. -l is added to all other finals, but -ing acquires an additional -e- to become -iengl.

As a consequence the one-to-one correspondence between GR and Pinyin is broken, since one GR rhotacized form may correspond to several Pinyin forms. For example:

• jiel corresponds to both jīr and jīnr.
• jial corresponds to both jiār and jiānr.