R and L

Of all the English consonants that confound Japanese speakers of English, the distinction between "r" and "l" is the big one.


Someone recently tried to say "soccer" in class, but what I heard was "circle." This ("r" that sounds like "l") is the most common mistake. It's too difficult to demonstrate on the blog, but the key thing to remember is this: If the tip of your tongue touches the roof of your mouth at any point, it will sound like an "l" rather than an "r." So keep your tongue LOW in your mouth to say "r."


Please use English well!