English Pronunciation: Pronounce the American R Sound. Learn to speak clearly by watching videos and learning all American English pronunciation rules. Learning these rules and practicing every day will give you complete accent training. Learn to reduce your accent and sound like a native speaker.

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500 Common English Words: R Sounds

Click on each "video" to repeat after the instructor and learn pronunciation tips.

American speakers pronounce R by making the tongue tense. The sides of the tongue touch the roof of the mouth. The tip of the tongue does not touch. The back of the tongue and the base of the throat are a little tight (not too much--do not stop the sound).

If you are not used to doing R this way, you just need practice. This list will help you build your new R sound. Remember: Americans pronounce all R sounds--whether R is first, middle or last. Do you have difficulty hearing the difference between R and L? Take the online listening test.

Check your understanding. Take our multiple choice test on R sounds.

R Sound Everyday Practice: Watch a Video.

R as 1^st letter	R in consonant letter combo.	-ere/ear (long E)	-ire (say IYR)	-er/-ir/-ur	Open -ar	Long -ar	-or
Video	Video	Video		Video 1 Video 2	Video		Video
Rabbit	Bread	Here	Buyer	After	Are	Air	Before
Rain	Bring	Near	Fire	Answer	Car	Area	Course
Ran	Broom	Year	Hire	Better	Dark	Care	Door
Reach	Brought	Appear	Tire	Bird	Far	Carry	Floor
Read	Brown	Hear	Wire	Center	Farm	Chair	For
Ready	Children	Clear		certain	Hard	Their	Force
Real	Country			Circle	Large	There	Fork
Red	Cream			Color	Mark	Where	Form
Rest	Cross			Correct	Part		Four
Right	Cry			Cover	Star		Horse
Ring	Draw			Direct	Start		More
River	Dream			Dirt			Morning
Road	Dress			During			North
Rock	Drive			Early			Order
Room	Dry			Earth			Port
Rope	Free			Ever			Short
Round	Friend			Every			Story
Rule	From			Father			War
Rug	Front			First			Warm
Run	Great			Girl			Your
Write	Green			Govern
Test	Ground			Heard
	Group			Her
	Grow			Interest
	Hundred			Learn
	Press			Letter
	Pretty			Measure
	Print			Mother
	Problem			Never
	Produce			Number
	Product			Order
	Street			Other
	Strong			Over
	Three			Paper
	Travel			Pattern
	Tree			Perhaps
	Truck			Person
	True			Picture
	Try			Power
	Umbrella			Remember
	Test			River
				Serve
				Several
				Sure
				Together
				Turn
				Under
				Water
				Were
				Wonder
				Word
				Work
				World
				Worm

				Y + ur sound
				figure
				pure
				cure

Take a listening test on hearing the difference between L and R as a last letter.

Get more practice with R: R Sound Reading Practice. Or, practice with English Pronunciation News: Practice R and L Sounds.

More Important R Facts

In standard American speech, all R's are pronounced, whether first, middle or last. You may notice that this is quite different from British English in which R's are usually silent when middle or last. Also, you may notice that Americans with certain southern accents or New York accents will drop some R sounds.

When R is the last letter, it is not pronounced as strongly.

For RL combination, pronounce RUL. For instance, for "girl" say "gir-rul." By placing a small sound there, you give yourself time to pronounce both the R and L clearly. It is also helpful to imagine a strong R or a double R when R is next to L.

For TR combination, as in "tree," pronounce almost as CHR.

Er Exception: very (pronounced with a short E as in "bed")

Read more about making the R Sound.

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