american english - Pronunciation of "r"


How would you describe the pronunciation of r to somebody who speaks English as second language?



Answer



The pronunciation of [r] is very difficult for some Asians, especially r in the middle of a word such as " murder". Also Germans pronounce [r] completely different with the forms existing in English, also it's different in many other languages. It's a good idea to teach them with Visual aids and graphical content. Also that would be helpful to teach them the differences that will happen in meaning by wrong pronunciation of [r] in some of the words.


To pronounce [r]:




  • Lips: Rounded




  • Tongue tip: curled upward but not touching the roof of the mouth




  • Airstream: continuous




  • Vocal cords: Vibrating




It's good to tell them




  • If you say [l] instead of [r]: berry will sound like belly.




  • If you say [w] instead of [r]: red will sound like wed.




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