The Letter R

In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter R. It is the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet. Let's begin.

consonant letters

'R' is the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet. It is also a consonant.

Consonants are the letters that are produced by stopping the letter from flowing easily.

Uppercase Form	R
Lowercase	r
Name	ar (pronounced /ˈɑːr /)
Sounds	/r/, /∅/

The Letter R: Sounds

Sound 1: /r/

'R' mainly sounds /r/:

Robin /ˈrɒbɪn/

road /rəʊd/

serious /ˈsɪəriəs/

Sound 2: /∅/

'r' can also be silent if it is put
1. at the end of a syllable and after a vowel
or
2. after a vowel and before a consonant:

arm /ɑːm/

after a vowel and before a consonant

scarecrow /ˈskeəkrəʊ/

at the end of a syllable and after a vowel

car /kɑː/

fork /fɔːk/

after a vowel and before a consonant

The Letter R: Multigraphs

rr

'rr' sounds /r/:

parrot /ˈpærət/

carrot /ˈkærət/

lorry /ˈlɒri/

wr

'wr' sounds /r/, in other words, 'w' is silent:

wrist /rɪst/

write /raɪt/

wrap /ræp/

rh

'rh' sounds /r/, so 'h' is silent:

rhino /ˈraɪnəʊ/

rhyme /raɪm/

rhubarb /ˈruːbɑːb/

Tip!

'er' only in British English in the following words sounds /ɑː/:

clerk /klɑːk/

derby /ˈdɑːbi/

However, 'er' at the end of the words sounds /ə(r)/ in British English:

writer /ˈraɪtə(r)/

worker /ˈwɜːkə(r)/

The Letter R: Uses

The Letter R is an abbreviation of:
The word radical in chemistry
The word ratio in mathematics
The word resistance in electricity

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- Sound 1: /r/
- Sound 2: /∅/
- rr
- wr
- rh
The Letter R: Uses

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