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• Pronouncing the Spanish R

PRONOUNCING THE SPANISH R

The Spanish letter R is easy to pronounce but is often mispronounced by English speakers. Here are some tips for getting it right.

Difficulty: EASY
Time Required: 10 minutes

Here's How:

• Keep in mind that there are two R sounds in Spanish: the single R sound and the double R (or RR) sound.
  
  
• Keep in mind that the single R sound is used whenever the single R appears in a word, except when it's at the beginning of a word or after an L, N or S, when the RR sound is used.
  
  
• Keep in mind that the Spanish R doesn't have the distinctive R sound of English. Think of it as a separate letter entirely.
  
  
• Remember that the single R is pronounced with a single flap of the tongue against the roof of mouth.
  
  
• Say these words rapidly as you would if they were English words, and with the accent on the first syllable: peddo, poddah, coddah.
  
  
• Congratulate yourself. You have approximately pronounced the Spanish words 'pero' (but), 'para' (for) and 'cara' (face).
  
  
• Note similarly that in English many words that have T or TT between vowels have the same sound, which is different than the T in 'today.' Examples are 'cattle,' 'bitter,' and 'attic.'
  
  
• Practice using the same sound in other positions. For example, to say 'frío' (cold), rapidly say 'fdee-o,' but pronounce the 'd' by hitting your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
  
  
• Again congratulate yourself. You are your way to learning this sound.

Tips:

• Try to imitate the sound of the R as it is pronounced by native speakers.
  
• Don't even be tempted to pronounce the R as it is pronounced in English.

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Spanish Pronunciation