About the rolled R

For many English speakers who learn Spanish, the rolled R is a stressful thing; while it seems to come easily to some, others get discouraged because they just can’t make it work. So a tip to begin with: don’t worry about it!  Your grade will not be based on your ability to roll an R, and even if you never learn it, your Spanish can still be clear and understandable!

There are two situations when you roll the R in Spanish.

1. Whenever a word begins with R.
2. When there are two R’s together in a word.

Listen:

How do you make the sound?

The sound is made by the fluttering of the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth. It is not made by a repeated tapping of the tongue (like a woodpecker hitting a tree). Rather, it is made by the force of your breath causing your tongue to flutter when you place it in the correct position. There are many methods for trying to develop the sound, and different ones work for different people. Here are a few steps to try:

1. Practice saying “butter” and “ladder” a bunch of times, and pay attention to what your tongue does: a quick tap on the roof of the mouth with the tip of the tongue.
2. Say “tada” several times, as quickly as you can. Push your breath out quickly as you do it. As you practice, try repeating the “d” sound before the second a, by letting the tip of your tongue flap against the roof of your mouth. Td’d’d’d’d’d’d’aah!
3. Try other sound combinations to see if they lead more naturally to the rolled R for you. Pr’r’r’r (like a cat)  or Gr’r’r (the way a Scotsman says “great”) or Kr’r’r. Remember to push the air through your mouth forcefully, but keep your tongue flappy.
4. Try raising the back of your tongue and make a forceful H sound. As you are making this, raise the tip of your tongue until it makes contact with the roof of the mouth, just behind the teeth. Does it start to trill?

Did you get it?

If any of these methods worked for you, keep practicing it. Gradually try other sound combinations and see if you can still make the trill. Try it at lower volumes.

Still having trouble? There are hundreds of pages on the internet that can help you out. If you want to keep trying, you can find lots of resources.