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How to Pronounce German Consonants l and
r
Correctly
Most consonants in German are pronounced differently than in English.
It is quite obvious with the consonants l and r.
Difficulty
Level:
Average
Time Required:
20 min
Here's How:
- Pronouncing l (like in "million"), place the tip
of the tongue to the ridge behind the upper teeth.
- Flatten it to produce the German l sound which is much lighter
and softer than its English namesake.
- Exercise pronouncing the l sound in German words "viel",
"lang", "wollen", "kalt", "Bild",
etc.
- Pronouncing r, gargle slightly with uvula at back of mouth
when r stands before a vowel like in German words "Rolle",
"beraten", "Frau", "Rad", etc.
- When r is followed by a consonant, simply swallow it, using
the neutral sound like in British English pronunciation of the word
"here".
- Exercise pronouncing the r sound in pre-consonant position
in German words "vier", "mir", "studiert",
"Karte", etc.
Tips:
- You should exaggerate certain lip and mouth configurations in order
to pronounce German words correctly.
- Muscles of the mouth, lips, tongue, throat and neck must be much tenser
for producing German sounds than English sounds.
- At the beginner's level exaggerate the articulation until it becomes
a habit.
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