How to Roll Your "R"s
Make the proper movements with your mouth., Transition from the D or T sound., Say English phrases that put your tongue in the right position., Use the butter/ladder method., Practice rolling a single R. At this point you should know where your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make the proper movements with your mouth.
The English R sound is made by the movement made between your bottom lip and your top teeth.
Alternative, the rolling R sound is made by vibrating your tongue against the back of your top teeth, which is very similar to the way your mouth moves when you say an English T of D.Start by saying the letter R, in English, out loud.
Pay attention to how your mouth moves while you say the letter R.
You’ll notice that your tongue does not touch the back of your teeth, it sort of just hangs there in mid-air.
Now say the letters T and D, in English, out loud.
Pay attention to how your mouth moves when you say T and D.
You’ll notice that your tongue touches the back of your upper front teeth — almost like your tongue is pushing your teeth forward.
The placement of your tongue while you say T and D in English is the same placement you need to perfect when attempting to roll your Rs.
But in addition to your tongue simply touching the back of your front teeth, it also has to vibrate.
It’s this vibration that creates the trill or rolling sound.
The important part of this step is to recognize how your mouth and tongue should move in order to roll your Rs.
When you move forward and start practicing the actual rolling R sound, remember to pay attention to your tongue placement. -
Step 2: Transition from the D or T sound.
Start this step by placing your mouth and tongue in the practiced location when saying the letters D or T in English.
This position will have your tongue resting very lightly against the back of your front teeth.
Once your mouth is in this position, breathe out through your mouth only.
Keep your tongue relaxed while you do this so it vibrates against your front teeth.The key to this step is to practice getting your tongue to vibrate.
By keeping your tongue relaxed in your mouth and breathing out, the flow of air from your lungs should force your tongue to vibrate.
If it isn’t vibrating it might be that you aren’t keeping your tongue relaxed enough.
This step, like all others, requires practice.
To help you gain success with this step, you might want to try actually saying the sounds associated with the letters T and D in English.
As you’re saying either the T or D sounds, add some Rs to the end of the sound so you’re making the sounds “drrr” and “trrr.” Breathe out while doing this and practice getting your tongue to vibrate.
You can also try saying English words that start with D, T, B, or P and have an R as the second letter in the word (e.g.
Dracula, train, bronze, pretty).
By practicing words that include D, T, B, P and an R you’re essentially practicing a rolling R because your tongue is in the correct position.
The key is to get your tongue to vibrate when saying the R so it rolls., In addition to the “drrr” and “trrr” sounds there are English phrases that can help put your tongue in the right position for rolling an R.
Use either the phrase ”put it away” or ”putter-up” and you’ll notice your tongue pushes against the back of your front teeth.
This is the same position you want your tongue in when rolling your Rs., The words “butter” and “ladder” in English are similar to using a word that starts with D, T, B, or P and has an R as the second letter.
These two words also place your tongue against the back of your front teeth, which is the same placement you need to roll your Rs.In the case of these two words, your tongue goes to the back of your front teeth when you say the second syllable of the word — when you say the sounds produced by “tter” and “dder." You can say one of the words, or both of them.
For example, you can say “butter butter butter ladder ladder ladder” over and over again, or any combination of the two words.
Keep repeating the words faster and faster.
The faster you say the words, the higher the chance that your tongue will vibrate.
Eventually the “tter” and “dder” parts of the words should take on the trilling sound of a rolling R. , In the process you’ve hopefully got your tongue to vibrate against the back of your teeth.
Now take all you’ve learned and practice saying only a rolling R.It may take weeks before you’re able to move to this step and successfully roll an R.
Be patient, it’s not easy.
The key to this step is to be able to produce a successful rolled R without the need to add extra letters or words.
Once you’re able to successfully roll one R, keep practicing over and over.
It should eventually become second nature such that you aren’t even thinking about what your mouth is doing when you roll an R. -
Step 3: Say English phrases that put your tongue in the right position.
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Step 4: Use the butter/ladder method.
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Step 5: Practice rolling a single R. At this point you should know where your tongue should be inside your mouth when you roll an R. You’ve also practiced this movement by saying other English words that produce the same movement.
Detailed Guide
The English R sound is made by the movement made between your bottom lip and your top teeth.
Alternative, the rolling R sound is made by vibrating your tongue against the back of your top teeth, which is very similar to the way your mouth moves when you say an English T of D.Start by saying the letter R, in English, out loud.
Pay attention to how your mouth moves while you say the letter R.
You’ll notice that your tongue does not touch the back of your teeth, it sort of just hangs there in mid-air.
Now say the letters T and D, in English, out loud.
Pay attention to how your mouth moves when you say T and D.
You’ll notice that your tongue touches the back of your upper front teeth — almost like your tongue is pushing your teeth forward.
The placement of your tongue while you say T and D in English is the same placement you need to perfect when attempting to roll your Rs.
But in addition to your tongue simply touching the back of your front teeth, it also has to vibrate.
It’s this vibration that creates the trill or rolling sound.
The important part of this step is to recognize how your mouth and tongue should move in order to roll your Rs.
When you move forward and start practicing the actual rolling R sound, remember to pay attention to your tongue placement.
Start this step by placing your mouth and tongue in the practiced location when saying the letters D or T in English.
This position will have your tongue resting very lightly against the back of your front teeth.
Once your mouth is in this position, breathe out through your mouth only.
Keep your tongue relaxed while you do this so it vibrates against your front teeth.The key to this step is to practice getting your tongue to vibrate.
By keeping your tongue relaxed in your mouth and breathing out, the flow of air from your lungs should force your tongue to vibrate.
If it isn’t vibrating it might be that you aren’t keeping your tongue relaxed enough.
This step, like all others, requires practice.
To help you gain success with this step, you might want to try actually saying the sounds associated with the letters T and D in English.
As you’re saying either the T or D sounds, add some Rs to the end of the sound so you’re making the sounds “drrr” and “trrr.” Breathe out while doing this and practice getting your tongue to vibrate.
You can also try saying English words that start with D, T, B, or P and have an R as the second letter in the word (e.g.
Dracula, train, bronze, pretty).
By practicing words that include D, T, B, P and an R you’re essentially practicing a rolling R because your tongue is in the correct position.
The key is to get your tongue to vibrate when saying the R so it rolls., In addition to the “drrr” and “trrr” sounds there are English phrases that can help put your tongue in the right position for rolling an R.
Use either the phrase ”put it away” or ”putter-up” and you’ll notice your tongue pushes against the back of your front teeth.
This is the same position you want your tongue in when rolling your Rs., The words “butter” and “ladder” in English are similar to using a word that starts with D, T, B, or P and has an R as the second letter.
These two words also place your tongue against the back of your front teeth, which is the same placement you need to roll your Rs.In the case of these two words, your tongue goes to the back of your front teeth when you say the second syllable of the word — when you say the sounds produced by “tter” and “dder." You can say one of the words, or both of them.
For example, you can say “butter butter butter ladder ladder ladder” over and over again, or any combination of the two words.
Keep repeating the words faster and faster.
The faster you say the words, the higher the chance that your tongue will vibrate.
Eventually the “tter” and “dder” parts of the words should take on the trilling sound of a rolling R. , In the process you’ve hopefully got your tongue to vibrate against the back of your teeth.
Now take all you’ve learned and practice saying only a rolling R.It may take weeks before you’re able to move to this step and successfully roll an R.
Be patient, it’s not easy.
The key to this step is to be able to produce a successful rolled R without the need to add extra letters or words.
Once you’re able to successfully roll one R, keep practicing over and over.
It should eventually become second nature such that you aren’t even thinking about what your mouth is doing when you roll an R.
About the Author
Stephanie Hill
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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