r

The letter r  gives rise to very different sounds in Spanish and English. Even though the English /r/ is relatively easy to do, it is a source of trouble for many non-native speakers, one which all too often results in a very strong foreign accent. Besides, there is some confusion about when the /r/ has to be pronounced and when it’s silent. This mainly depends on the variety of English you speak. The two varieties most widely taught (British and American English) are very different in this respect. So, this point needs clarification too.

Fortunately, if we want to solve all these problems, there are very clear instructions to follow. Let’s start by listening to the difference between the English /r/ and the two different ways in which the Spanish /r/ can be pronounced.

sound_loud_speaker rose                   sound_loud_speaker rosa                   sound_loud_speaker aroma

sound_loud_speaker arrange           sound_loud_speaker arreglar           sound_loud_speaker arengar

sound_loud_speaker irritate             sound_loud_speaker irritar               sound_loud_speaker iris

sound_loud_speaker race                   sound_loud_speaker raza                   sound_loud_speaker araña

sound_loud_speaker more                 sound_loud_speaker morro               sound_loud_speaker amor

 

r (post-alveolar, approximant, voiced)

Spelling: r (red, around), rr (mirror, worry), wr (write, wreck, wrong), rh (rhyme)

As you can see in the recordings above, there is a world of difference between the Spanish and the English /r/. To understand the reason for this, it’s important to realize that, while in Spanish both types of /r/ are clearly consonant sounds, the English /r/ is an approximant, which means that it has a vowel-like quality. Keep this idea in mind and it’ll help you a lot.

 

To produce an English /r/ correctly, you have to follow two rules:

1. The tongue never touches the palate. When you say a Spanish r  the tip or your tongue always touches the roof of the mouth. If you say the Spanish word corro, there are several repeated touches because the rr is produced as a trill. If you say coro  the tongue just touches the palate once (this movement is called a tap). In English, on the other hand, there is no such contact. The air flows freely over the tongue with very little obstruction. So, the most important piece of advice to produce the English /r/ correctly is this: never touch your palate with the tip of your tongue.

2. The tongue is placed further back in the mouth. The place of articulation is also different. In Spanish the tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge, whereas in English the tongue is placed in the post-alveolar region, a bit further back in the mouth (but there is no contact, as we’ve just said). Also, the tip of the tongue is slightly curved backwards.

 

Now, let’s learn how to say the /r/. As I mentioned before, the English /r/ has a lot in common with vowels, so I like to teach it by starting from a very well-known vowel sound: the /ɜː/ (if you don’t remember about it, you can check it here).

We’ll do it in two steps:

  1. Say a long /ɜː/.
  2. At some point, while you’re still saying the /ɜː/, raise your tongue a little, with the tip slightly curved backwards. Remember not to touch your palate. It must sound like this:

From /ɜː/ to /r/ (and then, rose) sound_loud_speaker

Now, don’t lose this sound and say words like

sound_loud_speaker right        sound_loud_speaker raise        sound_loud_speaker rice        sound_loud_speaker around

Of course , the /r/ can also be taught from other points of departure. Let’s start from a Spanish r.

  1. Say a Spanish r.
  2. Move your tongue backwards.
  3. Say the English r without touching the palate. Like this:

From Spanish r  to English r  (and then, round) sound_loud_speaker

This is the type of work I do with my students in my one-to-one classes. I make them practise these processes with exercises until they improve their comprehension of native speakers and are capable of speaking like that themselves. If you are interested in my classes, you can contact me here.

 
Here are some examples of a native speaker pronouncing the /r/. Pay attention to the way she says the words roles and mirrored.

sound_loud_speaker The roles of women in life, in political life, in business, everything, are absolutely mirrored by what we see in cinemas (Emma Thompson, BBC4).

I think the vowel-like quality of the English /r/ is pretty clear in Emma Thompson’s voice.

Now have a look at this recording (of a close friend or hers, by the way):

sound_loud_speaker This definition of the obsessive rumination on what appears to be a single piece of damming evidence (Kenneth Branagh, BBC4).

As you can see, the /r/ in rumination is a good example of how this sound is pronounced, but the letter r  in appears  is silent. Why? This question leads us to the next point.

 

When is the r pronounced? The pronunciation of the letter r  results in a very big division within the English language: the rhotic varieties and the non-rhotic varieties.

The rhotic varieties are those in which the letter r  is always pronounced, every time it appears in the spelling. This mainly corresponds to the type of English spoken in the United States, Scotland, Ireland and Canada (even though the kind of r  they use is not necessarily the same; actually it can be quite different).

The non-rhotic varieties, on the other hand, are those in which the letter r is only pronounced when it is followed by a vowel, remaining silent the rest of the times. Remember that we’re talking about sounds, not letters. Therefore, a silent letter like the e  in more  doesn’t count: the r  in more  is followed by a pause, so it isn’t pronounced. The non-rhotic the variety is spoken in England and other countries such as Australia and South Africa.

So, it’s  interesting to remember that in British English the r is pronounced only when it’s followed by a vowel, whereas in American English is pronounced on every occasion it appears in the spelling.

 

Let’s see some examples:

Non-rhotic (British English)                                          Rhotic (American English)

sound_loud_speaker word                                                                                     sound_loud_speaker word

sound_loud_speaker sore                                                                                       sound_loud_speaker sore

sound_loud_speaker armchair                                                                            sound_loud_speaker armchair

sound_loud_speaker You are my worst nightmare                                 sound_loud_speaker You are my worst nightmare

 

Here are some examples by native speakers of British English. Notice that, when the letter r is followed by a consonant or a pause, it’s not pronounced (those cases are marked in red).

sound_loud_speaker It’s young people who seem to enjoy it, just as much if not more (Emma Thompson, BBC4).

sound_loud_speaker A seal’s flippers resemble our hands. We are all the same (A.S. Byatt, BBC4).

sound_loud_speaker Hollywood has moved away so far from its early days (Emma Thompson, BBC4).

sound_loud_speaker We have to say something, I think, about what puritanism is briefly and why they’re there (Simon Middleton, BBC4).

sound_loud_speaker  It’s sort of I’ve grown up with her work, and I think that there was something that felt incredibly natural speaking her words (Keira Knightley, BBC4).

Now have a look at this interesting example, in which the comparative adjective rarer is pronounced by writer Julian Barnes. The word has three r’s, but only the first two are pronounced. The vowel-like quality of the English r is crystal clear.

sound_loud_speaker Why would you say that? Well, probably because it’s rarer (Rick Kleffel – Julian Barnes, KUSP).

 

Reintroducing the r. One very important point to bear in mind is that, whenever a word ending with a silent r is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, the r is reintroduced. Then it is pronounced and linked to the next sound. For that reason it’s called linking r. This a very good example:

sound_loud_speaker there  (silent r)      sound_loud_speaker there‿is  (linking r)

And here you can appreciate this process (and also hear a couple of words where the r is silent) in native speakers’ voices:

sound_loud_speaker Do you feel more‿in control? Do you feel that you are better‿actresses now? (John Wilson, BBC4)

sound_loud_speaker There ‿is no answer sometimes. You just have to find it (Jeremy Irons, BBC4).

 

 

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