The French R

فرانسیسی R

The French R is made at the BACK of the throat, not with the tip of the tongue like Urdu ر. It is close to a soft Urdu غ (ghain) or the sound of gargling, but lighter.

Tip

HOW TO MAKE IT: 1) Say Urdu 'غ' (ghain) softly. 2) Keep the tongue tip DOWN and relaxed behind the lower teeth. 3) Let air rub against the back of the throat — like a very gentle gargle. 4) Make it lighter and shorter. Start with words where R is at the END: 'bonjour', 'merci'. Then at the start: 'rue', 'rouge'.

Do NOT roll the R with your tongue tip. Even if you cannot make it perfectly, a soft 'غ' is understood by all French speakers. Never use an English 'r'.

Words and letters

All 45 lessons · The French alphabet · Français A0 → A2