How to practice the Japanese R/L distinction
The Japanese “R” sound is distinct and does not correspond exactly to either the English “R” or “L.” It is typically an alveolar tap or flap, produced by the tongue quickly touching the ridge behind the upper teeth, a sound somewhat between English “r,” “l,” and “d.” To practice distinguishing and producing Japanese “R” and the English “L,” learners should focus on the precise tongue position and movement involved in both sounds.
Practicing the Japanese R/L distinction involves these approaches:
- Understand the Japanese “R” is a single liquid phoneme realized as a quick tap of the tongue on the alveolar ridge, different from the English “r” (retroflex approximant) and “l” (alveolar lateral approximant). It is more of a flap sound and is somewhat in between English “r” and “l” in articulation.
- Practice feeling the tongue position for each English sound: for “L,” the tongue touches the alveolar ridge firmly and the sides of the tongue lower to let air flow laterally; for English “R,” the tongue is raised but does not touch the ridge.
- Use minimal pairs contrasting English /r/ and /l/ (e.g., rain/lane, rice/lice, road/load) to train the ear and articulation.
- For Japanese “R,” practice the tongue quickly tapping the alveolar ridge, almost like a soft “d” or a quick flip of the tongue.
- Use articulatory training, focusing on tactile feedback from the tongue and alveolar ridge, not just auditory cues.
- Listen to and mimic native Japanese speakers’ pronunciation of the “R” sound in the syllables ら (ra), り (ri), る (ru), れ (re), ろ (ro).
- Practice over time to improve both perception and production, as learners tend to improve on English /r/ over /l/ initially.
These methods have been supported by linguistic studies and teaching practices showing that understanding and actively practicing the tongue movements and minimal pair contrasts can significantly improve learners’ ability to distinguish and produce the Japanese “R” versus English “L” sounds correctly.