/r/ and /l/

The fact that Maori has only one liquid, usually pronounced as an alveolar tap [ɾ], but occasionally heard as a lateral, might lead to the expectation that /r/ and /l/ would be confused in Maori English or that /r/ would be tapped. There is no such evidence, except for the usual possible tapping after /θ/ in words like thread. The lack of tapped /ɾ/ may be the result of the fact that intervocalic /t/ is tapped.