Many non-native English speakers have problems pronouncing the American consonants /r/ and /l/. Since /r/ and /l/ are found at the beginning and end of many English words it is important to pronounce these sounds correctly.
Here are a few tips you can use to make these sounds.
Making the /r/ sound
To make the /r/ start with your tongue in a turned back position and uncurl it as you say the following vowel sound. Do not touch the top of your mouth with your tongue!
Practice by saying these words: red, raid, wrist, right, wrong, rice
Making the /l/ sound
To make the /l/ touch the tip of your tongue behind your top teeth. The flow of air through your mouth should move freely.
Practice by saying these words: led, laid, list, light, long, lice
For more pronunciation practice with the sounds /r/ & /l/ you can click here to practice by using the popular American children’s song Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
This can be challenging, but it’s really FUN!
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Tags: accent reduction training, american english consonants, American English Pronunciation r & l, songs to teach spoken english
