How to pronounce R in French from Learn French With Alexa
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2014
- Learn French With Alexa's FREE French lessons. In this video lesson, Alexa teachers you how to pronounce the difficult 'rrr' sound in French.
Bisou Bisou 💋
Support us and get exclusive member benefits: / @learnfrenchwithalexa
----------------------------------------------
TAKE YOUR FRENCH TO THE NEXT LEVEL
My French Course ► learnfren.ch/home
Test Yourself ► learnfren.ch/test
My TH-cam ► learnfren.ch/TH-camLFWA
My Blog ► learnfren.ch/blog
Support me on Patreon ► learnfren.ch/patreon
My Spotify ► learnfren.ch/Spotify
----------------------------------------------
GET SOCIAL WITH ALEXA AND HER STUDENTS
Instagram ► learnfren.ch/Insta
TikTok ► learnfren.ch/Tiktok
Facebook ► learnfren.ch/FACE
TH-cam Community ► learnfren.ch/YTCommunity
Twitter ► learnfren.ch/twitter
LinkedIn ► learnfren.ch/linkedin
Newsletter ► learnfrenchwithalexa.com/join...
'Practice your French' Facebook Group ► learnfren.ch/FrenchGroup
----------------------------------------------
SHOP ALEXA'S RECOMMENDATIONS & MERCHANDISE
Alexa's Recommendations ► www.amazon.co.uk/shop/learnfr...
Merch ► lfwa-merch.creator-spring.com/
T-shirts ► shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/learnf...
----------------------------------------------
MORE ABOUT LEARN FRENCH WITH ALEXA'S 'HOW TO SPEAK' FRENCH VIDEO LESSONS
Alexa Polidoro is a real French teacher with many years experience of teaching French to adults and children at all levels. People from all over the world enjoy learning how to speak French with Alexa's popular online video and audio French lessons. They're fun, friendly and stress-free! It's like she's actually sitting there with you, helping you along... Your very own personal French tutor.
Please Like, Share and Subscribe if you enjoyed this video.
Merci et Bisou Bisou xx
----------------------------------------------
Ready to take your French to the next level?
Visit ► learnfren.ch/test to try out Alexa's popular French courses.
![Learn to pronounce R in French | This works with ALL my students [Guide to French pronunciation]](/img/n.gif)
Would you say that it's socially acceptable to walk around with a pencil in your mouth in France?
+Kitty Cat Oui et non ...
wow want a great idea I'm sure no one will mind lmao
Maybe when they raise an eyebrow just.... said the R sound and they'll understand?
unless you throw out.
Probably, but they'd peg you for a tourist pretty quick.
I'm a native Spanish speaker, we're used to a heavy, strong r. The French r is such a tricky sound, specially for me, when it goes with a vowel. Thanks for the video 👍🏻
Spanish is so damn awesome. I prefer it to French
Same here.. I am Dutch but have strong r in front of the mouth. Dutch also have a lot of words borrowed from the french. For instance paraplu, plafond, capuchon, trotttoir, amuse, affaire, bureau and many more, but the pronouciation is so different it is hard to unlearn it.
The French r is similar to the Spanish J
AAAA I'm a Spanish speaker too.
It's funny because I can actually pronunce the r, but can't pronounce «frère». That damn word is draving me crazy.
@@enriquecerros Thank you so much, this helped me a lot!
Friends: we have to go to french class
Me: puts pencil in mouth
Ok I'm errrrrready
😁😂🤣
Hahahhahahaha
Gøne u.u JQJQJAJJAA
Jajajajajaja 😆
😂
Instructions unclear, choked on my pencil.
😂😂😂
I can't do it. Holding pencil properly but gagging!
I-
you used a small pencil
it has danger to get in
I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT I SWALLOWED MY PENCIL
+karen aa Congratulations, now you can pronounce the French R forever.
Buffy Summers Nope it's worse
*****
I can see that.
Idk y would u eat a pencil without chewing
lol
1:26 my mother walked in and I couldn’t explain
@@amieaustin9579 😂 good plan
I’m dying laughing just reading the comments 😂
My take on the exercise: I feel like I’m gargling water
Soft xd. So am I. People are really fun jajajs. The came up with so many fullish stuf
Me too😂
The "rhododendron" had me sounding like a washing machine 😂😂😂 dude this is hard :( but I'mma try my best I'm loving your channel hehe
Omg. You made me laugh when my mouth face and jaw was aching after rrrgrrrr ow a ing. Then that excersise guy popped up and I choked. 🤣🤣 it really works! I made the mysterious French sound with the pencil
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂
hahahaha
🤣🤣🤣
me in french lessons trying to pronounce stuff:
URRGGRREEEEEHEHHHHHHH-garder
That's not French, that's Uruk :q
onnggggg
same, except I sound like a choking cat when trying to pronounce "rencontre" 🤧
Now you know why there aren't more French people. Half die as toddlers from sticking pencils in their mouths. Ok maybe I made that up.
Elemefeo 😂
spaveevo lolllllllll
Nice joke 😂
PLEASE....It's for Anglos Saxons...to learn how to articulate the R.
Um we already how to do it naturally. There aren't more French people because of contraception and abortions. You're welcome.
Is it just me who used the pencil method and still pronounced "R" as the non-French "R"..👁👄👁
I Guess its because to be able to make that sound, you have to be able to easily and consistently make a gargle sound without having water in your mouth. The technical term for that is uvular oscillation. The pencil exercise is meant to restrict your mouth movement to further back in your mouth which encourages you to make a uvular oscillation or gargling sound when you speak. Try making a gargling sound without anything in your mouth at first then once you can just about produce that sound, do the pencil exercise and hopefully you should have better luck. Hope that helps, au revoir :)
@@JohnWick03 wow that helped a lot! THANK YOU 😅✌
@@ipeksertoz thank you I’m very glad to hear that :)
@@JohnWick03
For clarification and confirmation, would you know what the difference is between
Uvular oscillation
and voiced uvular fricative
(which is what another yt tuto stated)?
@@peneleapai The voiceless uvular fricative (When first learning the sound it’s best not to voice it since it can be harder to learn it this way, if you break it down into steps and start with the voiceless uvular fricative and add the vocalisation later it can become easier to learn) is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. After researching it a little this is most likely the direct term that is used when pronouncing the french R. Uvular oscillation is the core sound that acts as a base for things like uvular fricative. That’s why I said to practice the uvular oscillation since having good control over that sound over that sound makes the uvular fricative significantly easier. As stated in the name uvular oscillation is when you purposefully oscillate your own uvula through a focused pressure or slight vibration like gargling without vocalising. Uvular fricative is the SPECIFIC sound that comes from a slight uvular oscillation that is used in many languages like French, German etc. If you are only doing a uvular oscillation it should sound like a slight soft rattling at the top of your throat. If you vocalise this vibration (which many people tend to do unintentionally when first making this sound) then you get a gargling sound. Uvular fricative is basically taking the slight short soft scratchy sound from the VERY start of a uvular oscillation. When learning to make this sound and separating it from a gargling sound, you have to learn to do it without vocalising it so you can attain the uvular fricative and be able to easily do that sound on its own. Once you have done that you can use the sound in words which need it such as the french word “entendre”. You place the uvular fricative sound JUST very slightly before the “r” and then say the letter together with the uvular fricative. Then you get the french “r”. I hope that helps, and good luck! :)
This is not natural sound of the human. I cried for my French lesson.
My office mates are starring at me as I do this. They're probably thinking I must have gone nuts.
Well, at least you're not talking to a blue puppet, as she did in previous video :J
Hahahahahaha
😂😂😂😂
I didn't know what I was doing but I thought that I looked like a dog with a bone on its mouth and growling instead of practicing the R xD
ahaa😅
You actually did it right
Did anyone try to take the pen from you though? :J
Hahaha Don't say that
Pearl Saldua lol same🤣
Me: Gotta get some sleep
Brain: GOTTA LEARN TO PRONOUNCE FRENCH R
Guilty
Me too. It's a secret disease....
AND I DON'T EVEN STUDY FRENCH
Literally watching this at 2AM now😂
Exactly me rn😅
being fluent in spanish is like 10x harder since the “r” is hardwired into your brain as “rrrrr”
Ana M or Italian 😫
Or if you practice Russian.
Not if you can't roll your it's in any language!
Spanish seems to me to be more based in sound fluency with emotion and logic whereas French is also beautiful but has so many silent letters and sounds that are are to distinguish. I say that as an English speaker growing up around Spanish and being confused by French. I find French to be more difficult. I will say German is the hardest I've attempted because you can have a 14 letter 6 syllable word as a normal part of speaking the language
I have been learning French for 3 years and I've always had problems in pronouncing r!!! I would get perfect scores on writing, reading, and listening, but I was always struggling with my speaking! Thank you soooo much! Now I know how my mouth works and feels like when I am pronouncing R correctly!!!
I've had the opposite problem. I'm a native English speaker, yet I have absolutely no problems with pronunciation (it has been about 4 months serious learning). Listening is my main crux. Je ne comprends rien!
It gives me a sore throat
How come I sound possessed trying to do this?
You're cute !!
My nickname doesn't mean I fap to every girl I say is beautiful ..it's just a nickname :v
Melissa Brady lmao 😂
Melissa Brady Right?! I’m glad I’m not alone in that.
you look possessed on your dp too
I quite like this 'pencil' trick to learn "R" sound in French as it brought great advantage for an east asian to learn at home as we can use chopstick instead and it works better😂
I tried this and my dog started growling 😅 he was looking at me like I had gone insane!😂 Thank you for the tips!😊
You've finally worked out he's French! 😅
I tried practicing the pronunciation of the French R. Now I have a sore throat. It caused my throat to bleed and my voice to go hoarse. Now I have a question for you French speakers. Do you ever spit tonsil stones trying to pronounce words that have the French R?
Hmm.. What is Lissandra doing here. :)
Jad B Trying to kill Fiora.
LOLLLLL that's so nasty but such a valid Q
hmm no never! :) but never say never hahahaha
Franchement jamais
"Réparera" sounds like some sort of magic spell when you say it at loud.
I am 45 years old, and never took a foreign language course before. I am currently learning French. I also am learning a little German, and Latin. I found some great instructors on here, but none as good as Alexa. I like how she explains things, and with humor too. I am learning a lot off these videos.
Learning Latin is soooo useless man. Learn Spanish instead
I was laughing at myself so hard with the pencil in my mouth and then the sound "r" came out! You're great!
I think this actually really helped! If I haven't got it completely, then at least I am on my way to. It was both funny and informative. Thanks!
I sound like I'm chocking...
I've never understood how to pronounce the R until watching this video, thank you! The pencil really gave me insight or sense of how to make this sound. I was making the sound too low. When the R is the first letter of the word it is still difficult for me but I'm going to practice.
but how????? I tried and only succeed when there's saliva in my throat(and it sound like I'm clearing my throat super loud)
then I swallowed the saliva and it resumed to airy "h" sound and now my throat hurts like hell
I tried the saliva again and it almost sounds right. maybe that's what separates "r" speaking ppl from other ppl, they all keep a small amount of saliva in their throats lol
@@notaverysmartcat that is because you are pronouncing it wrong still. Saliva makes the sound when you use the back of your mouth to create the sound, but the true r pronunciation should come from deeper down in your throat, not your mouth.
@@hunterwhite8772 tbh I don't think that part exists in me😅😅😅😅
It's okay tho, I've given up after so long people understand me either way😂😂
@@notaverysmartcat I feel that, if it's any help I used to have the same problem, I still struggle at times but one video specifically is what really made a huge difference for me because it shows the trick in how to pronounce it in your throat and without needing all the saliva, check it out if you haven't seen it: th-cam.com/video/YCw_lEb1qXk/w-d-xo.html I don't know if it will help but it really worked for me at least!
@@hunterwhite8772 oh thanks! That koala thing really cleared things up(now I know where I'm actually using lol),turns out after 3yrs I'm using it already?? the real problem is that I'm only able to produce a clean "h" sound from that deep part, which is really close to the correct r sound but still lack the throaty rolling effect? If that makes any sense? I can sometimes do it right but most of the time there's just the h sound😂
i suck at this. i hurt my throat and i sound like idiot.
*and look like an idiot :'(
DDRandDSLover lol probably we are. but it should've work tho.
With practice, you will get there don't worry! It was the same for us the French at the beginning, when we learn this language for the first time! And now we know saying this perfectly! So don't worry! I :D
BOYA BOAY I ended up drooling on my table
BOYA BOAY I sounded like an idiot + I was drooling 😔 lol.
Thank you for this! It is edifying for an American English speaker. I used to tease my French instructor in school that pronouncing French was like pretending I had a piece of gum sitting in the middle of my tongue that I was trying to keep motionless while speaking!
Ooh that's a good tip! Thanks!
I got it! I got it!!!!! AAAAAA! thank you
Diche Bach This worked for me!
That worked better for me than this lady! Thanks!
Wow genius
I actually finally got it right! I've been speaking French with a strong accent for thirty six years, rolling my r like we do in Irish - and in less than five minutes you actually got me pronouncing it like a French woman! Now for the vowels.
Why am I doing this, I'm french lmao 😂😭
23 000 people have eaten their pen
…or summoned a demon
my friend thought that I got flu lol
TEACHERS: and that is how COVID 19 started
ME: I thought it started by people putting pencils in their mouths to get there french R's eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrright
I am practicing for my French fluency exam. And your video is super helpful! It's not perfect yet but there is improvement!! You motivated me to work harder and get it right! Thank you so much!
I started learning French on Duolingo this week and I have been doing well so far so I thought I would take it up a notch and learn pronunciation on TH-cam! I am glad I came across your videos! They are so helpful. Merci Beaucoup!
Updates?
I'm on unit 32 on Duolingo
It actually helps
Something that worked for me:
Try focusing more on the roof of your mouth and move your tongue slightly towards the back. When you hear the sound you imagine it's coming from far back on the roof of your mouth but it's actually on the hard palate and not the soft palate. Don't try to put too much pressure on your voice while practicing. In fact, put as little pressure as you can.
Pronouncing the french 'r' is like spitting a phlegm lmao.
Best explication for pronouncing R that I have ever heard. I'm so excited. It works perfectly!!
I got an idea when I'll be going to France I will just take a pencil in my mouth and walk around yep and if someone will stare are I should care less hahahhahahhaa
sonika cheru kandy LOL
Is it like a combination of a double 'R' and a 'KH' at the back of the throat? I can't seem to find a balance between the two, it either sounds like I'm trying to speak Spanish or like I'm trying to get rid of my phlegm.
axlena_ same
Same!!
Epiglottal sounds
*sipping tea and eating my crossiont in the back laughing at everyone because i am arab and we already have a letter with the same sound*
Me: EERRRRR eRreeerRRRRrr, WHY WONT IT SOUND RIGHT EEEErrRreRreErrr
I struggled for the longest time with the Spanish "j" and have just now begun to perfect it. At first I thought the French r and the Spanish j were the same. I think I have figured out, however, that the Spanish j is more in the back of the throat, but the French r is more on the roof of the mouth.
Connor Simmons This actually helped me. Thanks.
Dude what? Spanish j is just English h. Now this French r sound, what the hell is an h sound doing in there? haha
lvl99ultrathug Depends on where you are from. The Spanish j/g can be as light as an English h, or can be as heavy a Hebrew ch. In some parts of the Spain the j/g can be especially throaty.
+Connor Simmons Yeah, you are right... But if you pronounce it as an english "h" there's no problem, they will understand anyway. I'm mexican with few spaniard friends... Not a single problem understanding each other.
Na man as a latino and spanish being my mother tongue I can tell you we all pronounce the letter "J" nothing like the french "R".
Take for example "Juan" which is a common Spanish name. Everyone pronounces it "who-ann". There's no "R" there.
Oh my throat...
Lmfao 😂😂 that's how I am right now
Same
Thank you Alexa for helping us to learn French ! You are a amazing teacher ! 😊
You make me want to learn french with this warm personality of yours.
Before watching this video, it was impossible to me to do it right. Thank you very much. Greetings from Argentina
you are an amazing teacher. thanks!
Interesting, I was about to try the pencil thing but then I remembered that... I’m french so I can obviously pronounce it already 😭
Merci beaucoup! This is the video I’ve been searching for (though, I didn’t know it)!
i'm learning how to pronounce it.. is it kinda like a snoring sound? I can say the r if it's in front of words but lose it when it's in the middle of words .. :(
I don't think it's supposed to be a snoring sound..
+Reydua Instead of a "snoring" sound I think it is more of a whispering gargle.
lol I can say it in the middle but not at the beginning.. interesting
Mark Keller Thank you! From this comment I think I understood it! Now the video will make more sense to me. :)
Oddly enough snore translates to ronfle...
Bonjour Alexa! FYI, Since I've been drinking water with fresh lemon, it is a little easier to pronounce my French r!! Of course, I've also practiced with my pencil 1,000 times. :) Bisou Bisou!
Merci beaucoup pour cet lesson. I am trying to learn French on my own and your videos help me a lot.
Merci beaucoup. I have been trying to learn the French R’s for a very long time and I have seen a lot of videos but either their techniques never helped or they were too difficult but I really learnt the French r’s using your way.
Tou parl france
merci beaucoup pour l'aide!! ça fait 2ans que je suis en Suisse et j'ai toujours pas réussir à dire le R, mais grâce à votre video j'ai progressé. Merci infiniment
my cat was looking at me and probabbly thinking "you idiot"
You"re so nice and with a good sense of humor. I had fun learning how to produce the "R" I love your videos. You're also a great teacherrr! A million Thanks for your lovely videos
Thank you! This helped. Wasn't expecting this kind of approach when I initially googled for help, but it was certainly entertaining :D
I was laughing so hard... hilarious!! drôle!!!
The final joke about "right" cracked me up, hehehe.
Thank you so much!! This is where I face difficulty mostly!
I always mess up and roll my R's like in Spanish. this was very helpful! ty!
I can already say the "R" because I speak Dutch😂
*G E K O L O N I S E E RRRR D*
But the r in dutch is spoken from the front of the mouth. If you want to roll it properly.
well good for you
Protip: The "r" is made in the throat, at the very back back back back of the tongue! You want friction between your tongue and throat.
That's super helpful, thanks!
Actually no! That's the arabic R. French R originates from the throat but the air is merely pushed out from there it bounces back onto the middle of the palate, (aim for the front, you'll hit the middle) and that's what creates the R. Unless you're mad, which we sometimes do but once in a while. Otherwise you'll end up with a sore throat in no time. Hit the air in your center palate and you create the R there. Voila. :) Hope this helps you, Darren.
loved this what a great tip, and i love your sense of humor!
OMG! I never thought about learning French is very difficult like that. So the way you teach it’s so funny. But it’s better than other for people understand
this is impossible to do :( i am so sad :(
Siska Natalya it's really not, just keep practicing. I struggled with it and I thought it would be impossible but now I say it correctly 😊
ÜK Gëôrdië 10 je française
same here
you can do it! I'm american and I did it so if an american can do it anyone can! good luck!
ÜK Gëôrdië 10 can you please respond to this. I need your wisdom
Sound R is pain in my throat, I always cough all the time when I was talk a lot or in a cold weather.
that was actually incredibly helpful! once again - you amaze!!
I work with French people and their language is so musical, it always feels nice to hear a French person speak.
I can't say the french "r" for shit! Lol. I can say it in "rouge" but everything else sounds like I'm slurring and gargling. Ugh!
I'm a french native speaker and if you were able to pronounce the r just like in this video you would surely be understood but we don't exaggerate its pronounciation just like"rrrr" we pronounce in a more soft way ^^' if you wanna examples try to watch french youtubers and listen their r you will understand what i mean ! ^^'
Alexandre Chanas hi can you help me in French
@@Celestials1aurora i can help you.
Boтvɴy thank you so ya when do you have time so we can like text through here 💓
@@Celestials1aurora It's better on Instagram but whatever let's go.
Rrrrrrrr! It works! A bit like gargling. Merci Alexa.
This was extremely helpful! I managed to get the sound right several times, though not reliably yet!
I am an indigenous Pacific Islander who speaks 5 different native languages and I'm used to 3 different r sounds but the French r is something else. I wish I found this video sooner because I was struggling a lot on the French r and I've been learning French for 3 years now. My French work colleagues here in Australia have been very helpful but they didn't explain to me how exactly to pronounce the French r. This is very helpful. As I said, I wish I found this video sooner because how you pronounce the French r is very close to how the letter g is pronounced in one of my native tongues. Thank you. You're a great teacher.
Can't stop drooling lol....
@@sam-bn3sm 😆
It's majorly because you're watching the video with a bent neck......
Its so hard :(((
This totally works!! I used this method and practiced for 20min non-stop, and I am able to do it without the pen in mouth!! At least I sound better than before (I couldn't move my throat or tongue or whatever at all before)
This actually helped, thank you! Merci!
Excellent presentation
THIS IS MAGICAL
I speak Welsh and and i found it easy as we have a similar sound when using ch
Wow, Merci beaucoup! This really helped me. I have struggled with this a lot and this really does help!
Me encanta Alexa, la he visto desde hace años y no he comentado, pero me ha ayudado muchisimo. Es divertida, y muy clara! Felicidades, es una excelente maestra. (BTW: el final del video es divertido hahaha)
That’s the good thing about English, we don’t have to put anything in our mouth to pronounce a letter,, and if we did, we would probably change it!😂😂
this is actually very helpful! i've been in front of a mirror practicing w a pencil in my mouth and i finally got it, merci!
This is really helpful, we use the pencil for voice lessons too, never thought we could use it for language lessons...
Hi Alexa. finally I learned r in two months.
How to pronounce when r is in conjucation with f or b or other consonants? like arbre, train, fraise, lire, ecrire. I found these very difficult. Can you make another video ............please :)
+Vihari Vs YESSSSSS! Especially when it is in the middle of words. lol
I love your sense of humour haha! This is great, thanks muchly! EEEERGHHH XD
I thought she was saying a thousand times a day but said just kidding. I obsess until I can walk into a room with confidence knowing each sound I use is with practice and intent. I learn slow so I have to be methodical and just motion through steps again and again. This was probably the best French lesson I've gotten and I'm guessing 100,000 attempts to get it right.
Wow, that actually helped a lot. Thank you!
I don't think I have laughed so hard which was difficult with a pen in my mouth.
I've been doing your beginner lessons from my phone and really enjoying them so far. Thinking about subscribing in the new year when I have a computer again.
I really like that you explain the grammar and not just phrases. It's so interesting. I have been learning Japanese for 8 years now and French feels so fresh in comparison.
Thanks so much for your videos and podcasts. I hope you continue to make more of the lessons.
Alexa Polidoro I have to admit yourr the bestr french teache ever on the internet to me. sorry to bother but I need a favour. I have to know what the hard french word to pronounce are please write them... Thanks in advance and greetings from fan number 1here in Peru
its really a great fun to learn with you . Thank you so much
This lesson is so timing in having a cough, didnt know leaning to pronounce R is better than buying pill to get rid of phlegm. Merci
I wish you were my teacher you're so much fun
I think I turned into Batman doing this
😄 👍
I turned into the joker
Great video again and I love the humor at the end!
Wow, this is very good to practice exercise for me, "R" sounds is really difficult for me to pronounce. Merci beaucoup !!!!! i love your tutorial.