Spanish pronunciation
Letter R
Let me show you a couple of tricks that we’ll help you pronounce the letter R in Spanish.
As you may already know, in Spanish the letter R has a soft and a strong sound.
The importance of distinction
Perro = dog (Strong R sound)
Pero = but (Soft R sound)
Some Spanish words, like the pair above, change their meaning and pronuntiation depending on whether we use one R or two.
The soft R sound
It sounds like the double T in the American English word better.
The strong R sound
To practice the strong R sound, split the word PERRO into PER – RO. Now pronounce them separately as if the R were soft. If you say PER - RO quickly, eventually you’ll end up rolling the R and you’ll get the strong R sound.
Here you have a few words with soft and strong R sound for you to listen and practice.
Soft Spanish R
PERO
BARATO
CARA
PERA
LIBRO
TREN
Hard Spanish R
PERRO
GORRO
ROJO
MARRÓN
ROPA
The more you practice, the better you'll get. I don’t want you, though, to be too self-conscious of your Spanish pronunciation. Most of the time, context helps the person you’re talking to figure out what you’re trying to say.
Subscribe here to get new Spanish material every week.