Sounds · R and L

Every R is said

Even at the end of a word, you hear the vowel, then the R.

Hear it in words

How each word is written, and how Americans say it.

• moremohr
• hereheer
• carecair
• startstahrt
• fourfohr
• hardhahrd
• doordohr
• morningmohrning
• ruralroor-uhl
• mirrormeer-er
• beforebefohr
• coursecohrse

In a sentence

• Let's start at four. Let's stahrt at fohr.
• A large coffee, please. A lahrge coffee, please.
• Is the store near here? Is the stohr neer heer?

Careful with these

• No R is written, so none is said: the idea is, saw it, a pizza and a soda
• The vowel and R become “er”, a pattern of its own: work, bird, turn

How to say it

• Keep the vowel, then add the R: car is “cah”, then R.

Listen for: The R after the vowel, all the way to the end of the word.

Where to look for it

An R after a vowel, at the end of a word or before a consonant: car, more, here, hard. Never add an R that isn’t written: “the idea is” has no R.

More about it

Most British accents and many Englishes of Africa and Asia don’t say the R after a vowel. That is a different accent, not a mistake. Mary, marry and merry sound the same for most Americans.

Teachers call this: A rhotic accent: the R after a vowel is said.

Listen for it today. At a coffee shop, listen for “For here or to go?”: the R in here is said.