Can you roll your R’s easily, or does your tongue struggle?

Question

I find it interesting that something so simple for one person can feel impossible for another… Can you do it?

Master_Debator · Accepted Answer

Super easy. I don't do it much when I speak English, but when I use Japanese I use Kansai Japanese (not what you would learn in a college class which is Tokyo-ben and all that masu and desu bullshit). Why? Because I'm a muther fucking gangster. So those r/l's they talk about... all r's and L's get rolled because I'm a muther fucking gangster.

It's kind of transported itself to other languages I speak like German... but that's probably because the singer of Rammstein rolls the hard R's like that and that's how I'm learning it. I just don't do it with English for some reason. In English... I'm probably just always going to sound like a nugga from Los Angeles. Because I'm a mutha fucking gangsta. So damn gangsta, I don't even have to join a gang. The only pink nugga from the hood. Every damn gangsta movie from the West coast... that's where I live!

It's actually pretty crazy watching those gangsta movies... they make it seem like it's all just blacks, but it's actually all mostly Mexicans. I still stand out though... I'm pink as fuck and I've been around Snoop Dogg before he was famous... just in my hood and shit because of the recording studio. 91601 zip or 818. I would say it's only peppered with black... mostly just beaners... or at least when I was on the streets there.

Man I've seen a lot of shit and done a lot of shit. I've hung out with dudes from the Wu-Tang clan. Started rolling my hard R's though in Japan... doing that Yakuza shit.

FunkyMonkee · Accepted Answer

Yeah, no problem at all! And, I can hold it for quite a while! Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally, I can!
When we were kids, we were always trying to copy different speaking styles and dialects that we'd hear on t. v. and in cartoons so, we got used to being able to do that. If you don't use your abilities when you're young, you'll lose them rather quickly.
When we're born, we have the ability to make any speaking sound we want to speak any language we want but, after we focus on only one style for a while, we gradually lose all the others.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

Yes it's part and parcel of our dialect. Here's a brilliant little video of a muddy path narrated by a man rolling his Rs

Jessica405 · Accepted Answer

My French teacher at school got us to practice the French word "Reverbere" (lamp post).  NB I missed off the accents.

OneViewpoint · Answer

I always viewed it as a learned thing. In some languages it's part of the vocalizing of an "R". Similar to some Asian speakers having problems vocalizing the "L" sound. It's not that a non Spanish speaker or non English speaker can't do it. They've just been trained literally since birth to translate that thought into a different muscle memory response. Go try speaking the "click" language of Kalahari Bushmen, LOL.

loveslongnails · Answer

It's natural for some folks, but difficult for others. If you've been doing it since you were a child, it's second hand. Same thing for that loud whistle when you put your fingers in your mouth. Some people can do it and it sounds like a siren. Other people can't do it at all. LOL

AyChingao · Answer

Yeah, I've been mimicking accents (much like many others here) since I was a wee kiddo. It did help me land a role in the musical "Brigadoon" some years ago. The director would also ask me to "Scottish" this person or that occasionally. Some people just can't. As others suggest I doubt that it's a physical inability, judt habits learned early.8

236color · Answer

Yes, I can do it easily. Native English speakers learning Spanish that can roll their R's often over do it. Izquierda, the word for left, requires just a slight roll, bearly noticeable.

exitseven · Answer

I never could get the hang of it. I tried saying Ruffles Have Ridges,

MrOracle · Answer

Yes, I can roll my r's. R-r-r-r-r-r-r-uffles have r-r-r-r-r-r-ridges!

Levin · Answer

Yes, I can speak a Slavic language so it's quite natural for me.

MrChinaski · Answer

Not at all. Much to my eight grade French teacher's despair. When I try I sound intellectually impaired.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

To my own surprise, I was able to roll these R's around 10yo, before learning Spanish at school. Rolled R's are not exactly part of my language, Hard R's are instead, but there's a catch, regional dialects/accents may roll them.

Orion84 · Answer

I've always been able to roll my R's very easily. I don't know why; it just comes naturally to me.

My best friend, on the other hand, can't do it all, and it's hilarious when he tries, because it just sounds pathetic. 😂

slatyb · Answer

I've been learning a bit of French and the French "r" is coming more or less naturally now. A very short video explained it in a way I could understand: prepare to say the hard g sound in good, then aspirate as if saying "huh".

andreasderjuengere · Answer

I take much pride from my tongue's skills. This includes the rolling "r" 😜

DryGermanGuy · Answer

Like Edward Longshanks himself!

Shiprex · Answer

Yes, absolutely. As a Scot, it's parrt of ourr everry day rraucous rramblings. Kids ask me to say  The purrple burrglar alarrm sometimes and it cracks them up.

drummerdude25 · Answer

I can’t do it… I end up trying and it’s like an L sound comes out instead because I’m a stupid American. 😆

Iron_Man · Answer

Not at all and I don’t want to. I don’t speak Spanish and I’m not Italian either.

ElenaSeluna · Answer

Yeah.. it’s natural to me because of my second language..

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Answer

I have some TMJ so I have to shift my jaw a certain way to do it right

LC75LC71 · Answer

Hey, no hard R's! Also a song!

DJB72 · Answer

At both the front and back of my mouth. Learned as a singer when I was younger.

MikeTheBartender · Answer

Im currently living in South America so absolutely jjajajaa

Joshydavid25 · Answer

I can roll them pretty easily, with just a little bit of effort.. Lol..

AydenHazor · Answer

I can roll my Rs pretty easily. I've lost a lot of it from lack of use but I used to be semi-fluent in Spanish

Twalli · Answer

I used to not be able to make the sound for the letter "r" at all.

dragoblack · Answer

Only when saying words, but can't do it constantly.

MemeSupreme · Answer

NO BUT I WANNA its hard

sage2021 · Answer

I just tried it and it worked 😅

Nikki1989 · Answer

I have never tried.

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

I'm good at it I'm pretty fluent in Spanish I think you have to be living in New York city

Godihateyou · Answer

I can only roll my r's when speaking German. My tongue is Nazi.

queenofcardio · Answer

Haha barely. 😅

Daniel707 · Answer

Sorry can’t do it

molonski2 · Answer

As in how Thais can? Sadly no way , try as I have.

ohsheeT · Answer

No I can't do it but it's funny trying

midnightmoon05 · Answer

not at all!! ahhahaaa...

VioletHaze · Answer

Very easily. Its part of my native tongue

Lliam · Answer

I can, but it doesn't come naturally.

beenherebefore · Answer

I easily do this.

lilBigPotato · Answer

Yes very easy.

KostasKouvalis · Answer

Not to save my life

Jennz6 · Answer

Sometimes it is better than others

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

I can do it but isn't it a girl's thing 😂

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Of course. My tongue’s been practicing

Anonymous · Answer

Yeah, but why would I want to.

robocop666 · Answer

its hard ever tries learning russian?

RavVid · Answer

Not possible for me.

Agape93 · Answer

I can easily

ChicoFromThe305 · Answer

Indeed

dougeats · Answer

yup! rrrrrrrrrr

LiamJHayden · Answer

Easy

12karen · Answer

Yup I can haha

Can you roll your R’s easily, or does your tongue struggle?

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Can you roll your tongue?

Can you roll your R’s easily, or does your tongue struggle?

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Can you roll your tongue?

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