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Spanish · Sounds and spelling · A1

The Spanish R: the tap and the rolled trill

Spanish has two r sounds, and neither is the English r. The tap is one quick flick of the tongue, the sound in the middle of American “butter”. The trill, or rolled r, is three to five fast taps in a row. Which one you use is decided by spelling, and swapping them can change the word: pero means “but”, perro means “dog”.

Two sounds When to use each Word pairs Learn the trill Practice
WHERE THE TONGUE TOUCHES the ridge behind the teeth tongue roof of the mouth Tap: one touch Trill: 3–5 touches
Both sounds use the same spot: the bony ridge just behind your top front teeth. English r never touches it, which is why it sounds so different.

Two sounds, one place in the mouth

Most English speakers can already make the tap without knowing it. Say “butter”, “water” or “ladder” quickly in an American accent: the middle t or d is a tap. The trill takes practice, but the method below works for most adults within a few weeks.

EACH TICK = ONE TOUCH OF THE TONGUE TIP BEHIND THE TOP TEETH corochoir · r = tap corroI run · rr = trill
The place in the mouth is the same; only the number of touches changes. A single tap is the sound in the middle of English “butter” said quickly in American English.
rThe tap One fast flick of the tongue against the ridge behind the teeth. Used for a single r inside a word or at its end.
rrThe trill Several taps in a row, made by air flowing over a relaxed tongue. Used for rr and for r at the start of a word.

When to tap and when to trill

Spelling decides. The double letter rr is always trilled, and a single r is trilled in two positions. Everywhere else, a single r is a tap.

PositionSoundExamples
rr, always between vowelstrillperro (dog), carro (cart, car), arroz (rice)
r at the start of a wordtrillrosa (rose), río (river), rápido (fast)
r after l, n or strillalrededor (around), Enrique (Henry), Israel
single r between vowelstappero (but), cara (face), hora (hour)
r before a consonant, or at the endtaptarde (afternoon), tres (three), comer (to eat)

The last row is the one learners miss. An r at the end of a word, like the r of every infinitive (the “to” form of a verb: hablar, to speak), is a tap, though many speakers stretch it a little when the word ends a sentence. The spelling of every letter is on the Spanish alphabet page.

Word pairs where the r changes the meaning

Pairs of words that differ in one sound are called minimal pairs. They are the best training for your ear: play each pair, listen for the difference, then say both.

Context almost always rescues you: nobody will think you mean “dog” in pero no puedo (but I can’t). Still, the trill is part of how Spanish sounds, and getting it right is a big step towards a natural accent.

Learning the trill in six steps

The trill is not made by pushing the tongue. The tongue stays relaxed and the air makes it flutter, like a flag in wind. Spend a few minutes a day on these steps, and only move on when the current one feels easy. Tick them off as you go.

0 of 6 steps ticked. Your progress is not saved; it resets when you leave the page.

Practice sentences

Each sentence mixes taps and trills. Trilled letters are in red in the pronunciation line. Listen first, then say it slowly.

Eltheperrodogcorrerunsrápido.fast
el PEH-RRoh KOH-RReh RRAH-pee-dhoh “The dog runs fast.”
Why: Three trills: rr twice, then r at the start of rápido. Spanish often uses an adjective like rápido where English uses an adverb (quickly).
Perobutelthecarrocaresiscaro.expensive
PEH-roh el KAH-RRoh es KAH-roh “But the car is expensive.”
Why: Two minimal pairs in one sentence: pero / carro and carro / caro. Tap, trill, tap.
RobertoRobertocomprabuysarrozriceporinlathetarde.afternoon
RRoh-BEHR-toh KOM-prah ah-RROTH por lah TAR-dheh “Roberto buys rice in the afternoon.”
Why: The R of Roberto is a trill because it starts the word; the r before t in the same name is a tap. Spanish says “by the afternoon” (por la tarde).
ErreRconwitherre,Rcigarro;cigarerreRconwitherre,Rbarril.barrel
EH-RReh kon EH-RReh thee-GAH-RRoh, EH-RReh kon EH-RReh bah-RREEL “R with R, cigar; R with R, barrel.”
Why: The children’s rhyme for learning rr. “Erre con erre” (r with r) is how Spaniards describe a double r when spelling.

Pero or perro? Pairs that change meaning

A single tap (r between vowels) and a roll (rr, or r at the start of a word) are different sounds, and swapping them changes the word.

Erre con erre: tongue twisters

Spanish children practise the roll with these. Say them slowly first, then faster.

Classic
Erre con erreR with Rcigarro,cigarerre con erreR with Rbarril.barrel
EH-rreh kon EH-rreh thee-GAH-rroh, EH-rreh kon EH-rreh bah-RREEL · “R with R, cigar; R with R, barrel.”Why: Every rr is a full roll.
Railway
Rápidofastcorrenrunlos carrosthe wagonsdel ferrocarril.of-the railway
RRAH-pee-doh KOH-rren lohs KAH-rrohs del feh-rroh-kah-RREEL · “The railway wagons run fast.”Why: Initial r in rápido is rolled too.
Dog
El perrothe dogde San Roqueof San Roqueno tiene rabo.has no tail
el PEH-rroh deh san RROH-keh noh TYEH-neh RRAH-boh · “San Roque’s dog has no tail.”Why: r after n (Roque, honra) is also rolled.

Where to go next

Next guideSpanish pronunciationPure vowels, soft b, d and g, and linking. Next guideThe Spanish alphabetEvery letter’s name and sound. Next guideStress and written accentsThe three rules that place the stress. Course mapSpanish hubThe course map from A1 to C2.