• Spanish Courses
• Learn Spanish
• Spanish Translation

• Spanish Language
  • Spanish History
  • Spanish Statistics
• Spanish Pronunciation
  • Spanish Vowels
  • Spanish Easy Consonants
  • Spanish Difficult Consonants
  • Spanish and Accent Marks
• Spanish Grammar
  • Spanish Articles
  • Spanish Nouns
  • Spanish Pronouns
  • Spanish Prepositions
  • Spanish Verbs
• Spanish Vocabulary
  • Spanish Alphabet
  • Spanish Numbers
  • Spanish Colors
• Spanish Language Tools
  • Spanish Verb conjugator
  • Spanish Language Test
  • Spanish Dictionaries
• Learning Spanish
  • Spanish courses Online
  • Spanish courses Abroad
• Spanish Culture
  • Spanish Recipes
  • Spanish Literature
• Spanish Business
  • Spanish Translations
  • Spanish Schools

• Spanish language
• Spanish Pronunciation
• Pronouncing the Spanish RR

PRONOUNCING THE SPANISH RR

The Spanish trilled R, often written RR, has the sound most unlike any sound we have in English. Here are some tips for learning to pronounce it.

Difficulty: AVERAGE
Time Required: 15 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.
  
  
• The RR sound is also used to sound the letter combination of 'rr,' which is sometimes viewed as a separate letter of the Spanish alphabet.
  
  
• Keep in mind that the Spanish R and RR don't share the distinctive R sound of English. Think of them as separate letters entirely.
  
  
• Remember that the RR is a trilled sound formed by a flapping of the tongue against the front roof of the mouth.
  
  
• Visualize the front of your tongue as a flag flapping in a vigorous breeze.
  
  
• Now try purring like a cat. If you've succeeded, you are approximating the RR sound.
  
  
• Alternatively, relax and pretend you're a kid making the sound of a revving-up motor.
  
  
• Another way is to pretend it is extremely cold. Now make the sound of exhaling with you lips flapping together. Now do the same thing with your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
  
  
• Alternatively, loosely hold the tip of your tongue at the front roof of your mouth. Now try blowing air between the tip of the tongue and roof of your mouth while you partly relax the tongue.

Tips:

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

Back to:
Spanish Pronunciation