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Rr

Letter R

The letter R makes the /r/ sound, like in 'run', 'red', and 'rope'. The tongue curls back slightly.

How this rule works

R is a voiced approximant. The tongue curls back or bunches up without touching the roof of the mouth. When R follows a vowel it changes that vowel's sound (r-controlled vowels).

Remember: R is for run — /r/ with a curl of the tongue!

Examples

runredroperainrock

Words that use this rule

374 words in the SnapPhonics dictionary use this rule. Tap any word to see how it breaks into sounds. Showing the first 200 alphabetically.

aerospacealreadyamerica'samericanandrogenandrogensangryanthropologistapproachingarrangearrangedarrangementarrivearrivedashramaspiringatmosphericattractattritionausteritybarragebarrelbathroomborrowbrightnesscontrastbureauburiedburrowburrowedbytearraycarriedcarriercarriescarrotcarrycarryingcaterpillarcentralcentralizecentralizedcentrechoirchromaticchromeclassroomcomprehensivecompressedcontrastcontrastscontributecontributingcontributioncontrolcontrolledcorrectcorrectedcorrectioncorrectlycorrectnesscorrespondencecountriescountrycountry'scuredcuriositycuriouscurrencycurrentcurrentlydeteriorateddiachronicdinosaurdinosaursdurationduringelectricempriseenduringengraveengravingenshrineenshrinedentranceentriesentrustentrustedentryenvironmenteraeraseerasereverybodyeverydayeveryoneeverythingeverywhereexoatmosphericexperienceexperiencesexperimentexperimentationexperimentingextraterrestrialfiercefieryfuryfury'sgenregrandeurheritageheroheroichieratichorriblehorrorhundredhundredthhungryhurryimproveimprovisatoryinspiringinterestintricacyintricatelyintroduceintroducedintroducingintroductionironiterationslorrylyricsmarriagemarriedmarrymarryingmaterialmisreadmrmushroomnarrativenarrowoccurredoeuvreone hundredonehundredparrotperiodpiercepiratepirate'spoorpoorestpoultrypurestpurrrabbitrabbit'sraceracedracingrackracksradradarradicalradicallyradioradishragragerailrailwayrainrainbowrainedraiseramrampagerampagedrampartranranchrangrangerapidrarerarelyratrateratheratherrawreachreachedreadreadablereaderreadiness

Exceptions

When R follows a vowel (ar, er, ir, or, ur), it changes the vowel sound — see R-Controlled Vowels.

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