"r" as in red
/r/as in “red”
How to make it
- Curl the tip of your tongue up and slightly back — it must not touch the roof of your mouth.
- Round your lips a little.
- Turn your voice on and glide into the next sound.
Common mistake
Rolling or tapping it with the tongue tip, making it in the throat, or saying "l" instead ("light" for "right"). The English r never touches anything.
In words
Listen at normal speed or slowly, then say it yourself.
- red
- sorry
- very
Don't confuse with
Listen and choose the word you hear.
US and UK
British English
/r/
In British English, r is only pronounced before a vowel: "red", "very" — but not in "car", "water" or "bird" (unless the next word starts with a vowel: "car is").
American English
/r/
Americans pronounce r everywhere it is written: car, water, bird.
The r after vowels
American English pronounces r wherever it is written (car, water, bird). British English only pronounces it before a vowel.
| American | British | |
|---|---|---|
| car | /kɑːr/ | /kɑː/ |
| water | /ˈwɑːt̬ɚ/ | /ˈwɔːtə/ |
| bird | /bɝːd/ | /bɜːd/ |
| here | /hɪr/ | /hɪə/ |