How do you say R in Japanese?
David Mccullough
Updated on February 12, 2026
The Japanese "r" is different from the English "r". The sound is sort of between the English "r" and "l". To make "r" sound, start to say "l", but make your tongue stop short of the roof of your mouth, almost in the English "d" position. It is more like the Spanish "r".
Is there a letter R in Japanese?
When using English letters for Japanese, almost everyone uses the “R” character and drops the “L” from romaji, but the truth of the matter is that neither R nor L exist in Japanese. The sounds signified are usually written as “ra, ri, ru, re, ro,” but these aren't the same “r” as the ones we use in English.Does Japanese have trouble pronouncing r?
"I agreed that in Japanese, they spelled both English "L" and "R" with "R". But it will be incorrect to say that they have trouble to pronounce "L". It is actually the other way around, that is, they have trouble pronouncing "R". They simply don't curve their tongues.Why do Japanese cant pronounce R as L?
The Japanese sound is more of a cross between the English R and L, so it's very difficult to distinguish the two, hence Engrish. A proper hard R is actually just as difficult to pronounce as an L for Japanese speakers, and the hardest words to pronounce are those with both sounds (for example, parallel).Why do Asians mispronounce l and r?
And when Thais (and Asians) speak a little lazily, or fast – which is usually the case – when pronouncing “R” it's usually easier to let the tongue touch the palate instead of leaving it “float” just below it – which results in an (Asian) “L”. At the end of a syllable, Ls and Rs aren't fully enunciated.How to Pronounce Ra Ri Ru Re Ro - Japanese Pronunciation
How can you tell between L and r?
To make the L, the tongue comes forward, and the tip of the tongue presses against the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth, or sometimes comes through the teeth. To make the R sound, the tip of the tongue is down while the back/mid part of the tongue raises.How do you write r in Japanese hiragana?
Hiragana れ is written in 2 strokes. れ is written like ね except for this part. So it starts with a vertical line that goes from top to bottom. Then the second stroke starts with a short horizontal line that passes the first stroke.How do you pronounce pinyin r?
Pinyin's "r" SoundThis may seem strange, but the Mandarin r- sound really is very similar to the ch-, sh-, and zh- sounds. r- is pronounced by making the "French j" sound like in the words "leisure" and "pleasure". While making that sound, slowly pull the tip of your tongue further into the back of your mouth.