Oct. 22, 2007 - R's R us
The most problematic sound for the English speaker who is learning Spanish is undoubtedly the "R" and the "RR". Those, by the way, are considered two different letters in the Spanish alphabet!
Wait a minute, you say, the single "R" is easy! It's just like English.... right? Actually it is not. To make the "R" sound in Spanish, you tap the very tip of the tongue to the gum ridge right behind the front teeth. One quick tap is all it takes - do you hear the difference from our "R" that is formed more in the middle to back of the mouth? Here is an example: consider the Spanish phrase "para ti" (meaning "for you"). In Spanish, "para ti" would be pronounced like "pot o' tea".
The stronger "RR" sound occurs when you see two "r"s together, or when "R" begins a word. Once again, this "R" is formed by tapping the tongue on the gum ridge behind the front teeth, only this time the tongue "trills" and taps many times very quickly. One tip in forming this sound is to start with the breathy "H" sound. Try it: hhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrr. See?
Now let's practice. Pronounce the following words, being careful to properly say the single or double "R", and pronouncing words that begin with "R" as if they were a double "R".
- caro - expensive
- carro - car
- pero - but
- perro - dog
- revista - magazine
- red - net
- agarrar - grab
- libro - book
- comer - eat
- arruinar - ruin
