Pronunciation
The single r in pero
Between vowels, one r is a single tap. The tongue tip hits the ridge once and leaves. American “better” and “ladder” already do this with tt and dd.
r
Typical mistake
English r bunches or curls the tongue. pero then sounds like “pair-oh”, and a listener hears a different word from perro.
How to make the sound
- 01Say “better” at a normal speed and notice the tt. That flick is the tap.
- 02Keep the tongue tip loose. Do not curl it back.
- 03One contact only. A second bounce turns it into rr.
- 04Move the same flick into pero, caro, hora.
Practice words
pero
but — one tap
caro
expensive
hora
hour
mira
look
Questions
- Is the Spanish r the same as English r?
- No. English r is a bunched or retroflex sound. Spanish r between vowels is one alveolar tap.
- Why do pero and perro get confused?
- pero has one tap. perro has a trill. If the tap turns into an English r, both words collapse.
See also
Next — topical phrases: Phrases
Check r out loud
Record a phrase with this sound — the teacher will tell you if you landed it.