Holding out the R: American English Pronunciation

53,494 views ・ 2012-01-17

Rachel's English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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In this American English pronunciation video, we're going to have some fun holding out the
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R sound.
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As with any new concept or sound, it's a great
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idea to slow something down when you're first working with it. Slow it down, and drill it
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over and over. If you can speed up, great. But never sacrifice correctness for more speed.
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Today we're going to apply this slow-down method to the R consonant, specifically, in
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consonant clusters. I've noticed, with some of my students, that even when they've gotten
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a good R sound, sometimes in clusters it tends to turn more into a W sound. Or, sometimes,
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it turns into more of a D sound, a flap. Now when you do this, you can't hold it out. So
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holding out the R is a good way to test that you're doing it correctly. So, say these words
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along with me, really holding out the R sound. If it feels awkward, that's a good sign that
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you really need this exercise, that the R sound is not yet second nature to you.
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If that was hard or uncomfortable, do it again. And
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do it on your own many times. That is what it takes to drill a sound that is new. I hope
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this helps. That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.
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