Tips for Learning the American  /r/ Sound

by Marlene Schoenberg,  based on an article from the English Teacher's Assistant, summer 1999  

    Why is the /r/ sound such a challenge in English? The Midwestern  /r/ is strong in all positions in standard American English. The Boston or New York /r/ is"nevah" heard at the ends of words! The Scottish and the German /r/ s are made in the back of the throat. The Russians also use a guttural /r/ The Indian and Cambodian /r/s are trilled. Chinese students often confuse the /r/ and /l/. How can students understand the mouth positions for each of these /r/s and the movement patterns that creates more American sounding speech?

     Let's begin by understanding the features of the standard American /r/. We call the /r/ sound a liquid. It changes with the vowels  surrounding it. It is a later developing sound in the normal articulation patterns of children.  When we produce the /r/ sound , our tongue is pulled back and down.  Our jaw glides slightly forward.  Our lips are retracted but slightly puckered.  Puckering too much makes the sound  too much like a /w/. If you lift  your tongue tip up, it sounds like an /l/. The energy of the sound is in the lip and jaw movement.  Your tongue is very relaxed and doesn't do much work.  If you can feel this tactile pattern without sound  you can master the secrets of the /r/ sound. For further information about pronouncing the /r/ or/l/ sounds contact accent expert, Marlene Schoenberg at ethcom@winternet.com

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