The short version
- Spanish has two R sounds: a quick tap (pero) and a rolled R, or trill (perro). Get the tap right first.
- The rolled R comes from air, not effort. Your tongue rests lightly behind your top teeth and the air makes it vibrate.
- Words starting with "tr" and "dr" are a good way in. Practise a little every day, and use a strong tap until the roll comes.
If you're wondering how to roll your R in Spanish, you're in good company. It's the sound learners worry about most, and the one people tend to give up on after a few frustrated attempts in the car.
Here's something that might take the pressure off: the rolled R is only one of two R sounds in Spanish, and the other one comes up far more often. Getting that one right does more for your accent than the roll does.
This post covers both, with drills for the rolled R that you can do in a couple of minutes a day.
Spanish has two R sounds
The first is a tap: your tongue touches the ridge behind your top teeth once, very quickly. The second is a trill, the rolled R: your tongue vibrates against that same spot several times.
| Tap (one quick touch) | Trill (rolled) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it's written | A single r between vowels, or after most consonants | rr, or r at the start of a word, or after l, n or s |
| Examples | pero, caro, hablar, tres | perro, carro, rojo, Enrique |
| How often | Very common | Less common |
The spelling rule is simple once you see it. rr is always rolled. A single r is rolled at the start of a word (rápido, Roma) and after l, n or s (alrededor, honra, Israel). Everywhere else, a single r is a tap.
Getting them mixed up can change the word:
| Tap | Meaning | Trill | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| pero | but | perro | dog |
| caro | expensive | carro | trolley / cart |
| cero | zero | cerro | hill |
| pera | pear | perra | female dog |
Get the tap right first
The tap is easier than it sounds, because many English speakers already make it without knowing. It's the sound of the "tt" in "butter" or the "dd" in "ladder" in an American accent: a quick flick of the tongue, not a full "t" or "d". Some Scottish accents use it for their R, too.
Say "edda" quickly, as if you're in a hurry. Now say era. They should sound very close. Try para, toro and cara the same way.
The English R, where your tongue curls back and doesn't touch anything, is the one to avoid. Pero with an English R sounds strange to Spanish ears. A tap is always better, and it's much easier to fix than the roll.
How to find the rolled R, step by step
Most people who struggle with the rolled R are trying too hard. They tense their tongue and try to flick it fast. The roll actually happens when your tongue is relaxed and air pushes past it, the same way a flag flaps in the wind.
Find the spot
Say "t", "d", "t", "d" and notice where the tip of your tongue touches: the ridge just behind your top front teeth. That's where the roll happens.
Relax and blow
Rest the tip of your tongue lightly on that ridge. Keep it loose. Now breathe out firmly through your mouth, as if you're blowing out a candle a little way off. You're aiming for the tip to flutter, even for a moment. A short rattle counts.
Use "tr" and "dr" as a launch pad
Say tres with a lot of air behind the "tr", then tren, then otro. The "t" puts your tongue in the right place and the air after it gives the roll a push. Then try "drrr" like a child making a motorbike noise.
Move to words
Once you can get a short rattle, try it in words, starting with rr between vowels: perro, carro, arroz. Then words that start with r: rojo, rico, ratón.
Then sentences
Put it in something you'd actually say: Mi perro se llama Rocky. Voy a correr por el río.
Pick three words that start with "tr": tres, tren, trabajo. Say each one, making the "tr" longer every time: tres, trres, trrres. Then say perro straight after, keeping your tongue in the same place. Do it for a minute while the kettle boils. In normal speech the r in tres is a tap, so this is an exercise, not how you'd say the word. It gives your tongue a head start, and a lot of learners get their first roll this way.
It usually doesn't happen in one go. It's more common to get a rattle one day, lose it the next, and slowly get more consistent. A couple of minutes a day works better than one long, frustrating session.
Words and sentences to practise
When you can roll the R sometimes, practise it inside real words so it starts turning up when you speak.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el perro | the dog |
| el arroz | the rice |
| la tierra | the earth / land |
| rojo | red |
| la radio | the radio |
| correr | to run |
| el barrio | the neighbourhood |
| alrededor | around |
And a traditional tongue twister that lots of Spanish children learn:
- Erre con erre, cigarro.R with R, cigar.
- Erre con erre, cigarro, erre con erre, barril.R with R, cigar, R with R, barrel.
- Erre con erre, cigarro, erre con erre, barril, rápido corren los carrosR with R, cigar, R with R, barrel, fast run the carts
- Erre con erre, cigarro, erre con erre, barril, rápido corren los carros cargados de azúcar al ferrocarril.R with R, cigar, R with R, barrel, fast run the carts loaded with sugar to the railway.
Say it slowly first. Speed doesn't matter. Clear R sounds do. If you want to hear how native speakers do it, and copy the rhythm, shadowing is a good way to practise.
If you can't roll it yet
Plenty of learners take a while to get the rolled R, and that's fine. You can still be understood almost all the time.
In the meantime, use a strong, clear tap for rolled R words, maybe holding it slightly longer. Context does the rest. If you say you're walking your pero, nobody thinks you're walking a "but".
The more important thing is the tap and your vowels. A clear tap and clean vowels will make you easier to understand than a perfect rolled R with English vowels around it. There's more on that in Spanish vowels: the quickest pronunciation win, and on the other sounds worth fixing in the Spanish sounds English speakers get wrong.
Common mistakes
Using the English R, with the tongue curled back.
Use a tap: a quick touch on the ridge behind your teeth.
Rolling every R, including in pero and hablar.
Only roll rr and r at the start of a word or after l, n or s.
Tensing your tongue and forcing it.
Keep it loose and let the air do the work.
Practising for half an hour and giving up.
A couple of minutes a day, every day.
Avoiding words with R while you learn.
Say them anyway with a strong tap. You'll still be understood.
Recap
- Spanish has a tap and a trill. Get the tap right first.
- Roll rr, and r at the start of a word or after l, n or s.
- The roll comes from a relaxed tongue and plenty of air.
- Use "tr" and "dr" words as a launch pad.
- Practise a little every day, and use a strong tap until the roll comes.
Pronunciation improves fastest when you're saying real sentences out loud every day, and that's what 100 Spanish Conversations has you doing, one conversation at a time. If you want feedback on your R, record a few words and post them in the Skool community.
Leeroy studied Spanish for years before moving to Spain and finding he couldn't hold a conversation. He built Basically Spanish around the method that fixed it. Questions? leeroy@basicallyspanish.com