Trap 7 of 22 · French speakers
The American R: red, very, car, world
Le R américain : red, very, car, world
What French speakers do
You use the French R from the back of the throat (written ʁ below), and you soften or drop it after a vowel: car → caa.
The American rule
Pull the tongue back and up without touching the roof of the mouth, lips slightly rounded. Say every R, after vowels too: car, world, teacher.
The French R is a throat sound. The American R has nothing to do with the throat: it is shaped by the tongue alone.
- Say ee, then slowly pull the tongue tip back and up, without letting it touch anything.
- Round the lips a little.
- That growl-like vowel is the American R.
American English is rhotic: every written R is pronounced, including after a vowel — car is KAR, world is WURLD, teacher ends in ER. Dropping those R's makes you sound British or French, and word/world/work start to blur.
The words
red
/rɛd/
✗ʁÈD
✓RED
“I'll take the red one.”
very
/ˈvɛri/
✗vé-ʁI
✓VAIR-ee
“Thank you very much.”
right
/raɪt/
✗ʁAÏT
✓RYTE
“You're absolutely right.”
sorry
/ˈsɑri/
✗so-ʁI
✓SAH-ree
“Sorry, I'm late.”
car
/kɑr/
✗KAA
✓KAR
“Where did you park the car?”
world
/wɝld/
✗OUEUʁLD
✓WURLD
“She has traveled all over the world.”
word
/wɝd/
✗OUEUʁD
✓WURD
“What does this word mean?”
work
/wɝk/
✗OUEUʁK
✓WURK
“I work from home on Fridays.”
girl
/ɡɝl/
✗GUEUʁL
✓GURL
“Their little girl is five.”
teacher
/ˈtitʃɚ/
✗ti-TCHEUʁ
✓TEE-cher
“My teacher is from Boston.”
problem
/ˈprɑbləm/
✗pʁo-BLÈM
✓PRAH-blum
Also stressed at the front.
“No problem at all.”