What is the English R sound?

The English R is usually produced with the tongue pulled back slightly, without touching the roof of the mouth. Lip shape and tongue control both matter.

R sound examples

  • red, right, read
  • around, arrive, already
  • very, correct, story

Common R sound problems

  • Mixing R and L
  • Weak R at the start of words
  • Dropping R in connected speech

R drill pattern

  1. Isolated R sound
  2. R + vowel (ra, re, ri, ro, ru)
  3. Word level
  4. Sentence level

Keep going

Practice R sound tongue twisters and repeat daily in the Say Aloud app.