Back to Basics - How to roll the "r"
Page 5: How to roll the "r"
Learning to roll the "r" in Spanish may seem tricky at first, but with a little practice anyone can do it.
An good way to start is to say a word that starts with the letter "a," rather than just trying to roll the "r" by itself. For example, when first learning, it is easier to say the word, "arriba" (up, above), than to say the word "río" (river) or "rojo" (red).
Begin by saying "arriba" repeatedly again and again, out loud, until you are rolling the "r."
arriba, arriba, arriba, arriba, arriba, arriba!
Once you have mastered that word, move on to words in which the "r" is more difficult to roll.
Finally, as you get better, you can practice tongue twisters such as the following:
"R" con "R" guijarro
"R" con "R" barril
Rápido ruedan los carros
Sobre los rieles del ferrocarril.
(R with R pebble, R with R barrel, the cars roll fast over the rails of the railway.)
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