Sounds · R and L
T before R sounds like “ch”
Your tongue already pulls back for the R, so the T comes close to “ch”.
T + R → chD + R → j
tree chree
Hear it in words
How each word is written, and how Americans say it.
- trainchrain
- trychry
- truechrue
- countrycounchry
- dreamjream
- drivejrive
- dressjress
- drinkjrink
- hundredhunjred
- tripchrip
- trustchrust
- trackchrack
In a sentence
- Sorry, I'm stuck in traffic. Sorry, I'm stuck in chraffic.
- Where are the drinks? Where are the jrinks?
- Take out the trash. Take out the chrash.
Careful with these
- When the T or D ends a word or a part, it stays: get ready, bedroom
- TH before R keeps its own sound: three, throw, through
How to say it
- Round your lips for the R already on the T: tree, dream.
- Keep the T and R together, with no vowel between: tree, not “tuh-ree”.
Listen for: A “ch” before the R in tree: “chree”.
Where to look for it
A T or D right before an R: tree, try, country; dream, drive, hundred. TH before R keeps its own sound: three, through.
More about it
It happens inside a word too: country, children, address. After S, the change is smaller: street, strong. A clear T before R is always understood; it only sounds careful.
Teachers call this: TR and DR affrication.
Listen for it today. When a friend says “Drive safe!”, listen for the “j” in drive.