Consonant clusters and rhotic variation in Costa Rican Spanish

This study examines the phonetic realization of consonant clusters involving the alveolar tap (/Cɾ/ and /ɾC/) in Costa Rican Spanish, a variety known for rhotic variation. It addresses two main questions: (1) What factors contribute to phonetic variation in these clusters (e.g., syllable structure, place of articulation, voicing)? (2) What affects the transition time between consonants? Results show greater rhotic variation in heterosyllabic clusters and homorganic environments (e.g., /kaɾne/ → [kaɻne]). Consonant transition durations are longer in tautosyllabic clusters than in heterosyllabic clusters. An interesting finding is that intensity measures indicate that the tap is more constricted in heterosyllabic /ɾ.C/ clusters and less so in tautosyllabic /Cɾ/ clusters. These findings challenge traditional views of lenition based on strong (onset) vs. weak (coda) positions; I suggest a coarticulatory explanation.