4. THE FRENCH R

The French 'r' is pronounced in the back of the throat, by vibrating the root of the tongue against the throat.  You may practice this action by doing a sustained "gargle".

How to make the uvular (guttural) r.

When you have finished listening to all the examples, click on Pratique at the bottom of the page.


Les Invalides
Courtesy of Erin Henry
Beginning In the middle End of the word
riche boirons fleur
rose portable tard
robe sérieux dormir
rue différence préfère

The 'R' of final position is not voiced;
the vocal chords do not vibrate when it is produced. 
It is simply a rush of air.  Did you hear that difference?  If not, listen again.

The spelling '-er', when it is at the end of an infinitive (parler, regarder, aller),
never varies in pronunciation. It always sounds like 'é'.
When '-er' is at the end of a noun or adjective, the pronunciation varies, as in the examples below.

What part of speech Examples of pronunciation
All infinitives ending in -er: regarder
Nouns: cahier
Adjectives: premier
There are some exceptions where the 'r' sounds: hier, cher

Glossary

When you are finished, click here ==> Pratique