rr thingy

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by ChicadeJeep

Thank you.

What is a "French r"?

It sounds a bit as a /g/ in the Spanish word "gato" or the English word "go", not exactly, of course; it's more guttural and a bit vibrant. Haven't you ever heard "mon amour" in French?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

. Haven't you ever heard "mon amour" in French?

I have - I had a French girlfriend once. "mon amour" gave me goosebumps.

[brute]

Originally Posted by ChicadeJeep

Thank you.

What is a "French r"?

To me it is a soft gargling sound

[ChicadeJeep]

Originally Posted by brute

To me it is a soft gargling sound

Oh! I can kind of do that!
Thank you.

[Don José]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Some Spanish speaker people have this problem as well. They usually pronounce a soft r or a French r. There's no problem if you can't say a strong r, everybody will understand you

A friend of mine suffered from that problem. Being a teenager, he wouldn't ask for a 'cigarro' (cigarrete) but for the more colloquial 'pitillo' instead, just to avoid people joking and imitating him. So I wonder if they develop a vocabulary where those rr words are absent.

In Spain it's well known that many foreigners wouldn't pronounce the rr properly. We are used to it and we understand them. However, when speaking Spanish, your english r sounds much better than the French r. A French friend who has been living for many years (at least 10) in Spain can't pronounce the rr yet.

[Caballero]

What do you think of the Costa Rican r?

[SPX]

Originally Posted by Don José

A friend of mine suffered from that problem. Being a teenager, he wouldn't ask for a 'cigarro' (cigarrete) but for the more colloquial 'pitillo' instead, just to avoid people joking and imitating him. So I wonder if they develop a vocabulary where those rr words are absent.

In Spain it's well known that many foreigners wouldn't pronounce the rr properly. We are used to it and we understand them. However, when speaking Spanish, your english r sounds much better than the French r. A French friend who has been living for many years (at least 10) in Spain can't pronounce the rr yet.

Yeah, I am one of those people who simply can't do the RR. I've tried and tried and tried and the closest I can come is the French R, and even it is unreliable when it comes to my ability to do it.

I think it's interesting that you say the English R sounds better than the French R. Why is that? Because with a French R there at least is a roll, even if it sounds a little different. (To me, they sound very similar.) But with an English R, there is no roll.

I want to make sure I am understood. I'd also prefer to not sound ridiculous. Would you suggest that I pronounce RR words--as well as words that begin with R--simply like a hard English R instead of attempting to roll it French-style?

I remember talking once to a Guatemalan Spanish about the word "rey." I pronounced it simply like the English word "ray," which he seemed to find quite unacceptable, ha ha.

I also am concerned about how to make the differentiation between words like caro/carro and pero/perro.

[Don José]

Originally Posted by SPX

I think it's interesting that you say the English R sounds better than the French R. Why is that?

I should have said it's a personal opinion. A French person saying a sentence with lots of RR would sound as gggg...ggg ...ggggg. I'd be under the impression that he/she can't breath properly. Nothing to see with the 'light, soft and sweet'' English R (that are the adjectives that come to me mind when comparing with the French R)

I want to make sure I am understood. I'd also prefer to not sound ridiculous. Would you suggest that I pronounce RR words--as well as words that begin with R--simply like a hard English R instead of attempting to roll it French-style?

You won't sound ridiculous and you'll be understood. I'd forgot about the French-style.

I remember talking once to a Guatemalan Spanish about the word "rey." I pronounced it simply like the English word "ray," which he seemed to find quite unacceptable, ha ha.

Some people find fault with everything.

I also am concerned about how to make the differentiation between words like caro/carro and pero/perro

Context. Bob Marley.

[JPablo]

Well, if you want to have some "audio" on this "rr" thing, you can listen to Carlos (Spanish) and David (who, while shows a bit of his American accent, does the "r" and "rr" correctly.)

(Quiéreme/borra el dolor/no quiero llorar/regresa a mí...)



(Hope this helps!) (Otherwise, just enjoy the music!)

[Jessicake]

I still don't have it down, but I've managed to do it a couple of times (I just started practicing this morning!). Adding a very quick D sound sort of helps with getting the hang of it. Instead of saying "practice" try "pdactice." (I wouldn't rely on that though.)