Rule 3 of 6
Keep r and l apart
The rule
l: the tongue tip touches the ridge and stays. r: keep the tip clear of the ridge and roof of your mouth.
At the start of a syllable, make r and l with two different tongue positions: this deserves a few minutes of practice every day. English uses the difference to separate hundreds of words, while Kinyarwanda treats r and l as one sound. It works the same way in American and Standard English.
Tongue positions
| Sound | Tongue | Lips | How to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| l | The tip presses on the ridge just behind your top teeth and stays there for the whole sound; the air flows out over the sides | In their normal position | You can hold the sound for 2 seconds (llll) without moving your tongue |
| r | Pull the tongue tip back until it is behind the ridge, pointing up, with a gap. The sides may rest against your upper back teeth | Pushed forward and slightly rounded, less than for w | Keep your tongue tip clear of the ridge and roof of your mouth. If the tip taps the ridge, that is the Kinyarwanda r, which English ears can hear as l or d |
Warm up
Say la la la, then ra ra ra, then la ra la ra, 10 times each. On every l your tongue tip touches the ridge; on every r keep the tip clear of the ridge and roof of your mouth.
R and L pairs
| r | l | Play both |
|---|---|---|
| right | light | |
| road | load | |
| rock | lock | |
| rate | late | |
| pray | play | |
| grass | glass | |
| fry | fly | |
| crowd | cloud | |
| correct | collect | |
| arrive | alive |
Everyday words with r and l spellings
In early, world and girl, the r is silent in our practice model. See Rule 4.
- really
- already
- early
- library
- world
- girl
- rule
- travel
- relative
- regularly
Practise these sentences
- Turn right at the traffic light.
- Please collect the correct form.
- I really like the new library.