Two Ways to Make an R

The R sound is by far the trickiest for kids to learn and it is also the hardest to teach.  Those of us who learned the R when we were little may wonder why it’s so hard for some kids to pick it up.  Maybe it’s because the R sound is made almost completely with the tongue, and so requires careful tongue control.  This can be difficult for kids who haven’t fine-tuned that particular muscle.

To make things even more complicated, there are many different types of R.  In addition to the R at the beginning of words (ring, red), there are seven other types of R that typically come after a vowel (ER, AIR, AR, OR, IRE, EAR, and OUR).  And believe it or not, there are two different ways to produce these R’s: the Bunched R and the Retroflex R. 

The Bunched R is made by pulling the tongue up and back so that the sides of the tongue touch the insides of the back molars.  The tongue stays relatively horizontal, but just bunched backwards tightly.  Here is a video of my son making the bunched R. 

Bunched R sounds

You can teach the Bunched R by using a tongue depressor to gently push the child’s tongue up and back as he says the ‘EEEEEE’ sound.  It should eventually turn into ‘ER’.  If you don’t have a tongue depressor, you could use a lollipop (always a hit), or a measuring spoon as I did (--wasn’t a hit).  Here is a video demonstrating the process.  Be aware that it won’t happen this easily – my son already knew how to make an R and so he had to fake it.

Teaching Bunched EE to ER

The Retroflex R is made by not only pulling the tongue up and back, but curling the tip of the tongue backwards while tightening the whole thing.  This is the way I make my R’s and is sometimes easier to teach if the child can do it.  Here is a video of me making the retroflex R.  My tongue is not pretty, so I apologize in advance.  Also, at the very end of the video I say the word 'red' and I'm rounding my lips.  That's actually a no-no when teaching 'R' because little kids tend to turn it into a 'W' sound.  Typically we tell them to keep the jaw and lips still in a kind of half smile, and it's easier for them to make their tongue do the work.

Retroflex R sounds

You also teach the Retroflex R by using a tongue depressor to gently push the child’s tongue up and back, only this time the child is starting with the ‘L’ sound.  Have him put the tip of his tongue behind his front teeth, making an ‘L’ sound, and then pretend to slowly lick peanut butter off the top of his mouth by moving the tongue slowly backward.  About 3/4 of the way back, the tongue should quit touching the roof of the mouth but continue to bend backward.  The sound should gradually change from an ‘L’ to an ‘ER’ sound.  Here is a video showing how to teach the ‘L’ to ‘ER’.  At the very end, he makes a few 'ER' sounds the bunched way because that is his normal way.

Teaching Retroflex L to ER

Keep in mind that it may take a long time to master these R sounds, but eventually it will happen.  Don’t give up!

Good luck!