The Letter R

In British English

In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter R. It is the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet. Let's begin.

R is the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet. It is also a consonant.

Consonants are the letters that are produced by stopping the letter from flowing easily.

Uppercase Form	R
Lowercase	r
Name	ar (pronounced /ˈɑːr /)
Sounds	/r/, /∅/

The Letter R: Sounds

Sound 1: /r/

R mainly sounds /r/:

Robin /ˈrɒbɪn/

road /rəʊd/

serious /ˈsɪəriəs/

Sound 2: /∅/

'r' can also be silent /∅/ if it is put
1. at the end of a syllable and after a vowel
or
2. after a vowel and before a consonant:

arm /ɑːm/

after a vowel and before a consonant

scarecrow /ˈskeəkrəʊ/

at the end of a syllable and after a vowel

car /kɑː/

fork /fɔːk/

after a vowel and before a consonant

The Letter R: Multigraphs

rr

'rr' sounds /r/:

parrot /ˈpærət/

carrot /ˈkærət/

lorry /ˈlɒri/

wr

'wr' sounds /r/, in other words, 'w' is silent:

wrist /rɪst/

write /raɪt/

wrap /ræp/

rh

'rh' sounds /r/, so 'h' is silent:

rhino /ˈraɪnəʊ/

rhyme /raɪm/

rhubarb /ˈruːbɑːb/

Tip!

'er' only in British English in the following words sounds /ɑː/:

clerk /klɑːk/

derby /ˈdɑːbi/

However, 'er' at the end of the words sounds /ə(r)/ in British English:

writer /ˈraɪtə(r)/

worker /ˈwɜːkə(r)/

The Letter R: Uses

The Letter R is an abbreviation of:
The word radical in chemistry
The word ratio in mathematics
The word resistance in electricity

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- Sound 1: /r/
- Sound 2: /∅/
- rr
- wr
- rh
The Letter R: Uses

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