How to Roll Your RRs in Spanish
Practise rolling your RRs in Spanish with exercises for tongue position and airflow. Learn the difference between “pero” and “perro,” and when Spanish uses the strong R sound. Developing the trill can take repeated practice.
Introduction
Pero (but) and perro (dog) mean very different things.
That’s why we’ll practise the tongue position and airflow used for the Spanish trill.
Work through the exercises at your own pace; this sound may take time to develop.
Transcription:
First, we need to analyze what’s happening in your mouth when you roll your R’s.
To start, as you might not have used your tongue a lot (well, I don’t know what you do in your free time), it’s important that you do some warm-up exercises.
Follow me.
Can you fold your tongue into a circle and move it side to side? Then fold your tongue inward.
Now do the Brrr exercise. Say “brrr”. You will have to do this same thing but with your tongue. Close your mouth and expel air. “Brrr”, “rrr”, “brr” This is a great vocal exercise.
For the next exercise, you have to do the “Rarararara” exercise. Say it a few times.
Great job! Our tongue is now ready. The point of doing this is that later we can relax our tongue to get the sound.
Ok let’s learn the correct position of the tongue for the RR sound.
English R is often made with the tongue curled back or bunched up. For the Spanish trill, the tongue tip is near the ridge just behind your upper front teeth. In many American English accents, the middle sound in “butter” is a quick tap near this position. Repeat “butter, butter, butter.” That’s the position. The same with “Pot of tea.”
Put your tongue in that position and blow air. The movement of your tongue for the RR sound is passive. It is like a flag flapping in the wind. So don’t put tension on your tongue. Just put it in the correct position and blow air. It is like learning a wind instrument. You need to learn and practice the correct way of blowing air to make it sound. So you put the tongue in the position and blow air, trying to direct the air to the correct position. It is way more difficult with just air than when saying a word. Now add sound (just like what you do when you go “mmm”).
Here’s another exercise to try: say “butter” quickly and repeatedly. Focus on the quick tongue tap, then experiment with airflow to try to produce a trill.
Or try “Butter rap” – Brrra. Try with another consonant. Say “Ta-dah” repeatedly. Tra. Trrrra. Like Rosalía. (Trá trá.) Another word that might help you: “Drama” in Spanish.
When you get the sound, then you can start saying words. Exaggerate the sound a little at first.
Rosa (Rose)
Rata (Rat)
Río (River)
Ruido (Noise)
Reto (Challenge)
Before I share with you the last trick to pronounce the RR sound, you must know when to use this strong R.
Any R at the beginning of a word is pronounced as the strong R. But it is written with just one R. There’s no word that is written starting with a double R. Repeat after me.
Roto (Broken)
Reloj (Clock)
Risa (Laugh)
Between vowels within a word, the strong R sound is written with two Rs: rr.
Burro (Donkey)
Jarra (Jug/Pitcher)
Arriba (Up)
In consonant clusters such as tr, pr, br, gr, dr, and cr, the R is normally a single tap. But after n, l, or s, it is a strong R, written with one letter: enredo, alrededor, israelí.
Trabajo (Job/Work)
Precioso (Beautiful)
Brillante (Bright)
Gracias (Thank you)
Drácula (Dracula)
Creer (To believe)
Let’s go with the last trick! And I have a challenge for you at the end. Separate words into different syllables.
For “perro”, practise the two syllables slowly: “pe-rro”. Keep rr together: it represents one sound. Gradually join the syllables while maintaining the trill.
Don’t lengthen the RR too much, it is quick. But strong.
I think you’re ready for the exam. Can you pronounce this tongue twister?
Parra tenía una perra. Guerra tenía una parra
La perra de Parra subió a la parra de Guerra.
Guerra pegó con la porra a la perra de Parra.
Y Parra le dijo a Guerra:
¿Por qué ha pegado Guerra con la porra a la perra de Parra?
Y Guerra le contestó: Si la perra de Parra
no hubiera subido a la parra de Guerra,
Guerra no habría pegado con la porra a la perra de Parra.
Conclusion
Keep practising your Rs at your own pace. Would you also like to check your Spanish level?
You can take this test to find out so you know what path to take when you learn Spanish.
¡Hasta pronto!
