"R" Pronunciation for Japanese Students

The Japanese language doesn’t have some of the sounds we do in English, which makes it very difficult to use the right muscles in your face to move your mouth, to form the words.

Start off by doing some Face Yoga (seriously!). This video is ten minutes, but will help you to speak more clearly if you do it before pronunciation practice.

1. Pronouncing the "R" Sound

The English "R" sound can be difficult because it doesn’t exist in the same way in Japanese. In Japanese, the "R" sound is closer to an "L" or a light "D".

“R” Sound Exercise -

Now, this is not *exactly* how a British person moves their mouth to make the sound, but it is the easiest way for someone with a Japanese mother tongue to get the sound right.

• Position your tongue: Keep your tongue in the middle of your mouth without touching the roof of your mouth or your teeth. The tip of your tongue should be slightly raised but not touching anything.

• Keep your teeth together.

• Pull your cheeks back: Pretend you are on a roller coaster. Your mouth should pull as far to the sides as possible with your teeth showing.

• Make an eeeeeeeeerrrrrr sound in your throat

  

• Keep tongue and teeth in the same position, and slowly start to push your lips forward, like this horse.

  

• Scrunch your nose up, to help pull the top lip upwards.

  

• Change the sound from eeeeeerrrrrrr, to rrrrrrrr

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