Does anyone else find this IMPOSSIBLE:mad:?? Lol!! I wish I could I have tried sooo many times and annoyed so many people:o

My french housemate laughs at me every time I try :(

All of my boyfriend's spanish friends laugh at me and tease me by doing it and watching me try to do it!! :(

You may eventually be able to do it. It is a matter of technique and practice. But, there are also some other factors that might make it less easy for you to do it.

I have been involved in the teaching of hundreds of vocal music students over many years. When we we have sung songs in certain languages where it has been necessary to be able to roll the rr's. For some people it does almost seem to be an impossibility. Some people have even thought of it being a hereditary thing. For example: not everyone has the capability to roll their tongue lengthwise.

My personally, I think that other things that might come into play as to someone's ability to do it are the shape of the hard palette and the flexibility of the tongue. Some tongues are secured to the bottom of the mouth more than others.

Well, I can do it. Its just I don't want to! Its embarsing. >_<

I am Latino, and I can only do it when I'm speaking spanish fast and it just comes up (like when I'm reading, for example). I can't do it on command though

I did it once when I said perro, but of course NO one heard me :( lol I can vibrate my tongue fine I just can't get the sounds quite right !:(

I could never figure out how to do it!

I had soooo much trouble trying to learn to do this. I eventually got the hang of it, but it took a couple years! It's tough!

It was hard as hell for me to learn it. But I conquered my inability of doing it by just practicing straight for a week in the summer. I don't even need it for spanish I use it for annoying people :)

It's one of those acquired things, part of the accent thing.
Just practice saying R words when no one's listening. How many people do you know that speak the language fluently? They'll probably care more then you're english speaking friends.

Fun (impossible) says that I'm possible

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Originally Posted by statesgirl

Does anyone else find this IMPOSSIBLE:mad: ?!?! lol!!! I wish i could i have tried sooo many times and annoyed soo many people:o

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Eh... I expect you've heard the phrase 'practice makes perfect'? All you have to do is flick your tongue against your palate (behind your top front teeth). You'll get better with practice. Like the '-ch' sound in German, it's not an English sound, so keep at it - you'll get there eventually. Listening to natives and trying to imitate them would help, too. I find it easy because I take Spanish lessons and also because I practice a lot (I know a lot of languages). I expect lessons would help your pronunciation.

Good luck.

Uh... yeah practice helps... but not always...

I know a person who is graduating with a spanish degree, who spent a year in Chile, who simply cannot roll her r's. She knows the language well, she's dedicated her time and money to learning it... but for some reason she just cannot seem to do it.

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Originally Posted by kp2171

uh... yeah practice helps...but not always...

i know a person who is graduating with a spanish degree, who spent a year in Chile, who simply cannot roll her r's. she knows the language well, shes dedicated her time and money to learning it... but for some reason she just cannot seem to do it.

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I expect it'll come naturally. Some sounds are harder than others.

As I said, take the '-ch' sound in German as an example. The word 'ich' ('I' or 'me') cannot be pronounced without making an effort, as there is simply no equivalent in English for the German '-ch' sound. The same goes for rolled rs in Spanish - it's made by flicking the tongue against the roof of your mouth. It requires practice, like every other sound (who didn't say their 'k' and 'c' sounds wrong when they were little, eh?).

I doubt the ability to roll rs is hereditary in the way some people can roll their tongues and others can't, but it's worth a bit of research, I guess.

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Originally Posted by StrikeFurnace

I expect it'll come naturally. Some sounds are harder than others.

As I said, take the '-ch' sound in German as an example. The word 'ich' ('I' or 'me') cannot be pronounced without making an effort, as there is simply no equivalent in English for the German '-ch' sound. The same goes for rolled rs in Spanish - it's made by flicking the tongue against the roof of your mouth. It requires practice, like every other sound (who didn't say their 'k' and 'c' sounds wrong when they were little, eh?).

I doubt the ability to roll rs is hereditary in the way some people can roll their tongues and others can't, but it's worth a bit of research, i guess.

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I have already posted earlier on this thread concerning rolling the "R's." I would have to say that it has to do with how much or little pressure by the tongue is applied to the hard palette on the roof of the mouth and the amount of air that is attempted to be blown between the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth at the same time as applying the pressure with the tongue, rather than merely "flicking" your tongue in order to accomplish the feat. Once the tip of the tongue is placed on the roof of the mouth, the amount of air attempted to be blown and the amount of pressure applied by the tongue to the roof of the mouth, are really the controlling factors in this matter. Another supporting factor that does come into play preceding the actual articulator gestures, is the amount of pressure that is exerted by the diaphragm in order to help propel the air.

It is possible that not everyone may be able to do it, even with practice, for reasons that I have mentioned previously.

Well I'm French Canadian so I grew up with it (French and Spanish are very close languages). My daughter is now in French Immersion Grade 1 and I see her starting to roll her R's but doing that at 6 and doing it <insert age older than 20> is a different matter since we have to "unlearn" what we have become accustomed to.

That's very true about unlearning the things to which we have become accustomed. I look at the current adult choir that I am directing. It almost seems impossible to get them to do things with their mouths unlike they have already done for years.

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Originally Posted by Clough

I would have to say that it has to do with how much or little pressure by the tongue is applied to the hard palette on the roof of the mouth and the amount of air that is attempted to be blown between the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth at the same time as applying the pressure with the tongue, rather than merely "flicking" your tongue in order to accomplish the feat.

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Wouldn't that mean it was to do with practice, then? Seeing as you have to get the pressure juuuust right? =P

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Originally Posted by Clough
I would have to say that it has to do with how much or little pressure by the tongue is applied to the hard palette on the roof of the mouth and the amount of air that is attempted to be blown between the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth at the same time as applying the pressure with the tongue, rather than merely "flicking" your tongue in order to accomplish the feat.

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Originally Posted by StrikeFurnace

Wouldn't that mean it was to do with practice, then? Seeing as you have to get the pressure juuuust right? =P

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Wouldn't you think so? I believe that you have already answered earlier concerning that. ;)