How to Pronounce the American R Sound (/ɝ/ and /ɹ/)

The American /r/ is famously difficult for learners whose first language doesn't have it. Unlike the British tapped or absent /r/, the American /r/ is a strong, coloured sound that appears everywhere — even after vowels.

Why it's hard

The American /r/ (as in "red" /ɹ/ and "bird" /ɝ/) is an approximant made by shaping the tongue without touching the roof of the mouth. There are two main techniques:

1. The bunched R

Pull the body of the tongue back and up, bunching it toward the soft palate. The sides of the tongue press against the upper back teeth.

2. The retroflex R

Curl the tip of the tongue up and back toward (but not touching) the roof of the mouth.

Most speakers use one or the other consistently. Try both and keep whichever feels more controllable.

The r-coloured vowels

In American English, /r/ colours the vowel before it: "car", "bird", "butter", "teacher". This r-colouring (rhoticity) is the single biggest thing that makes speech sound American.

Practice

Start with isolated /r/, then move to words. Use our [sound reference](/sounds) to see the mouth diagram for /ɝ/ and /ɹ/, then [record yourself](/practice). The score estimates which words were recognised.

Try these words: red, run, around, bird, first, car, water, teacher.