Hello all!

I am in need of some help, if you wouldn't mind. Because of a neurological condition (Correct wording?) I have trouble pronouncing the "r" sound, among some other things. This isn't really a problem in English (besides some people thinking I'm mentally disabled or something) but I read in an Esperanto grammar book that all of the "r's" in Esperanto had to be rolled, which is something I really can't do. Is it true that this is needed? If it is, would it be better for me to try (and fail) to pronounce the r's or to use shorter, more "clipped" r's that I am better at?

Thanks in advance for any help! I know that this probably seems stupid, so sorry. I didn't want to post this, but I wasn't sure what to do.

Although I can say my r's "American style", I also cannot roll my r's to save my life. My mouth just doesn't do it.

So, my advice is, do your best, and don't worry about it beyond that. Sometimes someone might miss a word you say here and there, but if they don't understand you they can always have you repeat it. If you can't, you can't. I can't, and it doesn't bother me any. Certainly don't let it get in the way of your learning and using Esperanto. It's not that big a deal.

RiotNrrd:Although I can say my r's "American style", I also cannot roll my r's to save my life. My mouth just doesn't do it.

So, my advice is, do your best, and don't worry about it beyond that. Sometimes someone might miss a word you say here and there, but if they don't understand you they can always have you repeat it. If you can't, you can't. I can't, and it doesn't bother me any. Certainly don't let it get in the way of your learning and using Esperanto. It's not that big a deal.

Okay, thanks. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who can't.

I am not sure what you mean by a short, clipped R.

But can you pronounce a D? In my opinion, as far as mouth movement etc, the "preferred" Esperanto R has more in common with the pronunciation of D, than it does with pronunciation of the English R.

It's normally a light tap, like a D, only with the tip of the tongue rather than the top surface of your tongue touching the roof of your mouth as you pronounce it.

But seriously, you will hear a very wide range of R pronunciations. German speakers tend to 'swallow' their R's, French speakers tend to pronounce them a bit gutturally, etc. You will be understood even with a wide range of variation, so do your best and then don't worry about it (so long as your R isn't likely to be mistaken for another letter - that could be slightly problematic!)

Zesana:Hello all!

I am in need of some help, if you wouldn't mind. Because of a neurological condition (Correct wording?) I have trouble pronouncing the "r" sound, among some other things. This isn't really a problem in English (besides some people thinking I'm mentally disabled or something) but I read in an Esperanto grammar book that all of the "r's" in Esperanto had to be rolled, which is something I really can't do. Is it true that this is needed? If it is, would it be better for me to try (and fail) to pronounce the r's or to use shorter, more "clipped" r's that I am better at?

Thanks in advance for any help! I know that this probably seems stupid, so sorry. I didn't want to post this, but I wasn't sure what to do.

I think it trilled to trill an r say h sound lift you tongue try hitting it with your breath this should cause your tongue to bounce and pronounce the thrilled r.

Zesana:I am in need of some help, if you wouldn't mind. Because of a neurological condition (Correct wording?) I have trouble pronouncing the "r" sound, among some other things.

Do you know this, or are you self-diagnosing? I ask because many native English speakers struggle with a trilled 'r' but that doesn't always mean they're incapable of making the sound. If you can already kind of make the sound, it seems likely that with practice you could better at it. While there are some people who can't trill their 'r's, I suspect they're far fewer than those who *think* they can't trill their 'r's because they've never really learned how to.