Hi, I am an Asian .I have the trilled "r" in my native language .Can any American possibly tell me how to make the American "r" sound in words like bird , short , rice etc.I shall be grateful.
Trilled "r" sound and american "r" sound
Think of the r in _grrr_, like when you're expressing anger. Basically, do a little bit of a roar to do the English r.
Strictly a non-technical explanation, but, in the American "r," the tip of the tongue starts up towards the aveolar ridge, behind the upper incisors, but it never touches it. It's no guarantee that you'll have an American-sounding "r" without touching the ridge, because there are many configurations the tongue can take which prevent the American sound. But it is certain, that, if the tongue touches the ridge, you will not have an American "r." Most Americans, but by no means all, can trill an "r." And the American "r' varies widely across the US. The most elongated sound is usually found in the upper Midwest. The shortest "softest" "r" is heard in the lower South...
It also helps to close the mouth a bit -- bring in the jaw a little. If you say something like "Sarah", with the "r" between vowels, your jaw should move down a little as you pronounce the first "a", come back up a bit as you pronounce the "r", and drop back down to pronounce the second "a". They're very subtle movements, though. The lips also round a little bit when pronouncing the "r". You can still pronounce an American-style "r" without doing this things, using the tongue alone, but it won't sound quite as natural. It would probably still sound more natural than using a trilled "r", though.
- Kef
- Kef