The Letter 'R' in Spanish
'R' is the nineteenth letter in Spanish alphabet and it represents a consonant sound.
Uppercase form | R |
|---|---|
Lowercase form | r |
Letter name | erre |
Phonemes | /r/, /ɾ/ |
How to Pronounce 'R'
The letter 'r' represents two distinct phonemes in Spanish, which are used depending on the position of the letter in the word.
When 'R' is Pronounced as /r/
This strong, rolling sound is produced by multiple rapid tongue vibrations. It is used when the letter 'r' appears at the beginning of a word or after the consonants 'n', 'l', or 's'. For example:
rey → /rei/
king
alrededor → /alreðeðoɾ/
around
In some cases, this sound is represented using the digraph 'rr' between vowels. But keep in mind that only the double 'r' makes this sound between vowels. For example:
perro → /pero/
dog
carro → /karo/
car
barrio → /barjo/
neighborhood
tierra → /tjera/
land
When 'R' is Pronounced as /ɾ/
This simple, single tap sound is used when the letter 'r' appears between vowels, at the end of the word, or after consonants other than 'n', 'l', or 's.' This sound is similar to the English 'r' in words like 'red.' Here are some examples:
pero → /peɾo/
but
caro → /kaɾo/
expensive
descansar → /deskansaɾ/
to rest
gripa → /ɡɾipa/
flu
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