Eliciting Challenging Sounds in Isolation

Sound: /r/__

Most typical errors observed: Students will make a /w/ for an /r/ sound

Some specific features of articulator placement/position, manner, and voicing component:

Articulator placements/positions:

*The lower jaw is moderately down and the upper and lower dentition are moderately apart

*This sound is produced primarily with the back of the tongue

*The back of “the tongue lifts and retracts (spreads diagonally) and the back sides of the tongue touch and are stationary against the back molars on both sides; the middle part of the back of the tongue lifts and then lowers slightly for a brief amount of time in order to produce the sound; the front part of the tongue has no major role in the /r/ production. It retracts and ‘bunches’ (as the back of the tongue retracts as well). The tongue is very ‘taut’. The /r/ sound is considered one of the tightest sounds in the English language.”**

*Tongue is in very similar position as it is when a long /e/ sound is made

*Lips are pursed-this sound can be made correctly without pursed lips—however when teaching students this sound, pursed lips is highly emphasized because they tend to want to round their lips to make a /w/

**Information taken from “Oral Analysis and Remediation Techniques” by Charlotte Boshart

Manner of airflow is not constricted; oral cavity is open moderately

Voicing component is on

Some typical changes in articulator placement/position, manner, and/or voicing that students make which cause errors in this sound:

*Students will not get tongue up in the back

*Students will drop their lower jaw more during the production of this sound, which causes the tongue to drop down in the back

*Students will bring the front part of the tongue forward and even, at times, touch the lower dentition, which causes the back of the tongue to drop

*Students do not purse their lips enough or not at all

Ideas for eliciting this sound in isolation:

*Teach /r/ by using sounds that have similar tongue placement such as;

/g/ to /r/

/k/ to /r/

long /e/ to /r/

tilt head back so gravity encourages the tongue to retract back