Today, we're going to talk to you about how to make the R and L sounds as well as practicing your listening and pronunciation.

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Today, we have a pronunciation lesson for you, so pelase like the video if you enjoy learning about English pronunciation.

Also, for additional practice you can join our social media classes, and there are links to them in the description below.

Now, I know a lot of learners have trouble with the R and L sounds.

Keep in mind that I'll be going over the American pronunciation, and that's what we'll be talking about today.

So let's start out by talking about how to make these sounds.

But first, it would be useful if you did have a little mirror like this.

And this is a helpful pronunciation tool when you want because you can look and see what's going on inside your mouth.

Now, if you don't have one, don't worry about it.

That's okay.

You are still going to be able to practice.

Let's begin with the /r/ sound.

In order to make this sound, we need to make sure that your tongue is in the right position.

Number 1 - The tip of your tongue needs to be turned up.

And it should not be touching the roof of your mouth.

If your tongue is touching the roof of your mouth, then it's in the wrong position.

So remember, the tongue is turned up, but not touching the roof of your mouth.

Number 2 - Your tongue needs to be in the back of your mouth.

One way to do this is to smile when you're trying to make the sound because when you smile, it makes your tongue move slightly towards the back.

So just smile when you make the sound.

I know it looks crazy, but it helps.

Number 3 - The sides of your tongue should be next to or in between your back teeth.

So when you're making the sound, if you were to bite down slightly, you should be able to feel your teeth touching or hitting the sides of your tongue.

Number 4 - The final way to check and make sure your tongue is in the right position is to breathe in.

When you have your tongue in the position for the /r/ sound and you breathe in,

you should feel the air rushing over or along the top part of your mouth.

Yeah, I feel it.

Let's practice with a few common words the have the /r/ sound.

Now all of these words have the sound in the first or initial position.

So I'm going to say the word and then all I want you to do is repeat.

Excellent! You're doing great!

Now, let's have a look at the /l/ sound.

To make this sound, your tongue needs to be up against the back of your teeth.

Now the exact spot to put your tongue is on the bump or ridge that is behind your front teeth.

I'd show you, but I'm not going to put the camera in my mouth.

Number 2 - As you make the sound allow air to flow around your tongue and through your mouth.

So as you're making the /l/ sound, if you were to put your hand up to the front of your mouth and make the sound, you should feel the warm air of your breath.

It's hot.

Number 3 - The final way to check and make sure your tongue is in the right position is to breathe in.

When you breathe in, you should feel cool air along the sides of your tongue.

It's cool.

Again, it helps if you have one of these mirrors so you can see what's going on.

So let's practice saying some words with the /l/ sound in the first or initial position.

Again, I will say the words and I just want you to repeat.

Here we go!

Hopefully, you have a better idea about how to make the R and L sounds.

For more information about these two sounds as well as information about how to make any sound in American English,

I'd recommend that you check out the University of Iowa's phonetic webpage.

This is a great pronunciation resource.

It shows you what's going on inside your mouth and gives you a great visual.

I will leave a link to the webpage in the description below.

Okay, I think you're ready for some more practice with the R and L.

What I'd like to practice first is your listening skills.

And I want you to identify the sound that you hear.

Is it the /r/ sound? Or is it the /l/ sound?

And for this exercise, we're going to be using minimal pairs.

These are two words that sound very similar except for one sound.

So in this case, the different sound is going to be either the R or the L.

Let me show you what I'm talking about.

Here we have two words, and I want you to point to the word that you hear me say.

So, if I say "Right," Then you will point here.

I'll say each word twice, and then reveal the answer.

So, let's get some new words up there.

Okay. How did you do?

For more practice, I'd recommend doing the exercise again and listening carefully to how I pronounce each word.

Now that you've identified the sounds, let's practice your pronunciation.

So for this next activity, I want to do an imitation exercise.

So I'm going to say a sentence, and then I want you to repeat it exactly how I say it.

Let's begin!

Great job saying those sentences!

If you'd like more pronunciation practice, I'd recommend doing the activity again.

And I will also put some more sentences in the description below that will help you practice the R and L sound.

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We'll see you next time!