The audio here is generated speech. A recorded human voice for this lesson is on the way.

The sound

The American R is made with the tongue touching nothing. Pull your tongue back and up, curl the tip slightly or bunch the middle, and round your lips a little. The sound comes out through the space. It is not rolled or tapped, as in Spanish, Hindi or Japanese; it is a smooth, continuous "rrr".

The biggest difference between American and British English is R after a vowel. Americans say it: "car", "water", "hard" all have a clear R. Most British speakers drop it. Since the English taught here is American, pronounce every R, including the one at the end of a word.

Hear the difference

Tap each word. Then test your ear.

  • R: tongue pulled back, touching nothing. L: tip on the ridge.

Test your ear

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

  1. American English says the R in "car", "parked" and "corner".

Practice · 3 min

Say each sentence with a clear R everywhere, including after vowels in "car", "corner", "order". Record the second sentence and count the Rs you hear. There should be five.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.