R Tongue Twisters for Clearer Speech
Charlotte Witts SLP
06/02/25 | Last modified: 06/11/25
‘R tongue twisters’ are a fun and effective way to improve pronunciation of the tricky letter r in English.
This sound is usually one of the last to be mastered by children and language learners because of the complex articulation needed. Its unique shape, positioning, and the control needed over the mouth, tongue, lips, airflow, and voice make it one of the most commonly mispronounced sounds in English.
This struggle is why many children continue to pronounce words like ‘rabbit’ as ‘wabbit’ well into elementary school and even beyond, unless they have home or professional speech therapy.
In this article, we’ll be focusing primarily on the ‘r tongue twisters’ and explaining how you can use them to improve your child’s pronunciation of the tricky r sound. You’ll find examples for all levels, including easier tongue twisters for beginners and the more challenging tongue twisters with r for extra practice.
90+ Fun R Tongue Twisters for Kids
Here’s a list of 90+ fun tongue twisters with the r sound, separated into difficulty levels.
Start your home speech therapy sessions with the easier, beginner-friendly sentences before moving on to the more challenging ones.
30 Easy R Tongue Twisters for Kids
| 1. | Red rabbits run. |
| 2. | Ricky ran rapidly. |
| 3. | The rain roars. |
| 4. | Ruby rides rollercoasters. |
| 5. | Rats race on roads. |
| 6. | Raccoons roll rocks. |
| 7. | Run, rooster, run! |
| 8. | Rachel reads rhymes. |
| 9. | River rocks roll. |
| 10. | Rusty robots roar. |
| 11. | Round rings roll. |
| 12. | Roosters rattle rails. |
| 13. | Rabbits rest rarely. |
| 14. | Runny rain ruined rugs. |
| 15. | Rosie rode a raft. |
| 16. | Ricky raced the rickshaw. |
| 17. | Rachel rode a rhino. |
| 18. | Rockets roar rapidly. |
| 19. | Randy read red riddles. |
| 20. | Ropes roll around rails. |
| 21. | Rare rhymes rock. |
| 22. | Roaring rhinos run. |
| 23. | Ricky raked red roses. |
| 24. | Rain rolls roofs. |
| 25. | Ripe raspberries ripen. |
| 26. | Rosie races red rats. |
| 27. | Rick rides a red rug. |
| 28. | Robby rolls rubber rings. |
| 29. | Rolling rocks rumble. |
| 30. | Ray ran around the roads. |
30 Medium Difficulty R Tongue Twisters for Kids
| 1. | Red rabbits raced around rocky roads. |
| 2. | Ricky’s raccoon rumbled around roots. |
| 3. | Rolling rivers rush right rapidly. |
| 4. | The rainy roofs rattled really roughly. |
| 5. | Ruby rode a roaring red rollercoaster. |
| 6. | Randy read a row of rhyming riddles. |
| 7. | Round rocks roll around riverbeds. |
| 8. | Rusty robots rarely roar right. |
| 9. | Rabbits raced racing reindeer rapidly. |
| 10. | Rosie read really rare recipes. |
| 11. | Roosters rarely rest during rainstorms. |
| 12. | Rowdy raccoons ran through ripe radishes. |
| 13. | Robby raced a red remote rocket. |
| 14. | Rita’s red ribbons rip in the rain. |
| 15. | Rattling rails rang around rural roads. |
| 16. | Riley rolled red rubber rings rapidly. |
| 17. | Racing rhinos roared ‘round the ridge. |
| 18. | Rain raced Ricky’s red racer. |
| 19. | Rachel rode a racing raft rapidly. |
| 20. | Rabbits roll radishes around rocks. |
| 21. | Rick roared while racing roaring rivers. |
| 22. | Ropes wrapped around rotating railings. |
| 23. | Rare roses rise right after rain. |
| 24. | Rockets roar and rattle rooftops. |
| 25. | Roosters ran right around Rachel. |
| 26. | Rainbows reflect right across rivers. |
| 27. | Randy’s robot rattled rusty rails. |
| 28. | Rapid runners raced roaring roosters. |
| 29. | Rainbow rugs rolled around Riley’s room. |
| 30. | Rhythmic rumbles roared around the ranch. |
30 Challenging R Tongue Twisters for Kids
| 1. | Ruth’s rusty roller rattled rapidly around rugged roads. |
| 2. | Racing rhinos rarely rest while rushing rocky ridges. |
| 3. | Riley’s rabbit routinely rolls ripe red radishes. |
| 4. | Rattling rockets raced right around rotating rings. |
| 5. | Rare roaring roosters rang rusty railway rails. |
| 6. | Rainwater rushed relentlessly, ripping roadside riverbanks. |
| 7. | Rhythmic rattles rang around Rachel’s roaring radio. |
| 8. | Randy’s roaring raccoon repeatedly ran around rough rocks. |
| 9. | Roaring rivers ran rapidly, revealing red root ridges. |
| 10. | Rusty rakes rake right through rows of rotten roots. |
| 11. | Roosters rarely retreat when roaming rough rural roads. |
| 12. | Radiant rainbows reflected right across rushing rivers. |
| 13. | Roller rinks rocked as rowdy racers rolled around rails. |
| 14. | Red rangers raced rapidly through raging rainforest routes. |
| 15. | Remarkable rivers roar roughly around rocky reservoirs. |
| 16. | Rachel’s roaring robot ripped red rubber rugs. |
| 17. | Rainy rooftops rattled rapidly, ruining Riley’s reading. |
| 18. | Roaring rafts rode rippling rapids relentlessly. |
| 19. | Raccoons reacted rapidly, retrieving raisins from rusted racks. |
| 20. | River rats ran rapidly around rusty red rocks. |
| 21. | Repetitive roaring rattled Riley’s radio receiver regularly. |
| 22. | Ralph’s rabbit raced recklessly around rocky rose roots. |
| 23. | Red roosters rushed Rachel’s rowdy raspberry ranch. |
| 24. | Rainstorms rendered red ribbons really ragged and ripped. |
| 25. | Robotic rollers routinely rotate rugged rubber reels. |
| 26. | Rare raccoons ran around Rita’s rotating red rackets. |
| 27. | Riding rhinos roared across rocky, raging rivers. |
| 28. | Riley’s rhymes rattled readers with rough, roaring rhythms. |
| 29. | Running ragged, Rudy raced rapidly around rotating roundabouts. |
| 30. | Rusted red rims rolled roughly around rugged railroads. |
| 31. | Red lorry, yellow lorry. |
Why the “R” Sound is Challenging
The ‘r’ sound (/ɹ/ in the IPA) is one of the most difficult to pronounce in English. This is because it requires precise tongue placement, advanced muscle coordination, and excellent control of airflow.
It’s also hard for learners to see and copy the articulation to pronounce this tricky sound because it doesn’t involve obvious tongue or lip positions – everything happens inside the mouth.
If that wasn’t challenging enough, there are also more variations to the pronunciation of this sound than any other. It depends on the position of the sound in the word, other sounds in the word, and whether you speak American or British English.
For these reasons, it’s one of the later sounds for children in speech therapy or language learners to pronounce accurately.
These challenges can lead to mispronunciations such as:
- /w/: red → wed
- /l/: rabbit → labbit
- /ɚ/ (er): bird → boid or bud
Occasionally, the speaker will omit the sound altogether. For example, ‘rocket’ becomes ‘ocket’.
The inability to pronounce the ‘r sound’ is known as rhoticism and is one of the most common speech impediments, affecting both children and adults.
The good news is, with plenty of focused practice using the ‘r tongue twisters and r word lists we’ve included, their pronunciation of the ‘r sound’ can be significantly improved.
How to Pronounce the Letter ‘r’ in English
The English letter ‘r’ is usually pronounced as a voiced alveolar approximant /ɹ/.
This means that you use your vocal cords (voiced), your tongue is close to or touches the ridge behind your front teeth (alveolar), and the sound is not made using friction (approximant).
Here’s how to pronounce it:
1. Tongue
There are actually two possible tongue positions for the r sound, both of which work for speech therapy. These are called ‘bunched’ and ‘retroflex’ r. Feel free to experiment with both and see which works for your unique child.
- Bunched /r/: Lift your tongue in the middle and pull it back slightly. This should form a bunched or ‘cup’ shape at the back of your tongue.
- Retroflex /r/: Curl the tip of your tongue slightly up and back towards your palate, but don’t allow it to make contact.
2. Mouth
Gently round your lips and keep your mouth slightly open.
3. Airflow
Allow the air to flow from your lungs, over your tongue, and through the gap between your lips.
The Pronunciation of /r/ in American and British English
In this guide to ‘r tongue twisters’, we focus on American English where the letter r is always pronounced, no matter where it appears in the sentence. This is called a rhotic accent.
However, in British English, the letter r isn’t always pronounced. Instead, it is often dropped at the end of syllables unless it is followed by a vowel. This is known as a non-rhotic accent.
For example, in the words ‘learn’, ‘butter’, and ‘perfect’, the letter r isn’t pronounced, whereas it is in words like ‘read’ and ‘raffle’.
Understanding these differences can help you tailor your child’s speech therapy and improve their pronunciation of the letter r, specific to the variety of English and accent you use.
Tips for Practicing ‘R Tongue Twisters’
Here are some tips on how you can help your child improve their pronunciation of the letter r, and get the most from the tongue twisters with r, step-by-step.
Connect the letter to a vowel
When your child is practicing the r sound, try adding a vowel to the beginning. For example, instead of ‘r’, try ‘ar’ or ‘er’. This can make it easier for your child to pronounce the sound. Once they’ve mastered this, repeat but add the vowel after the sound.
Use your body to demonstrate articulation
As the r sound can be difficult to imitate by watching the mouth, use your body instead. Extend your arm straight out in front of you, then pull it towards your body as you pronounce the letter. This will help them master the correct tongue position.
Keep it easy
Start by pronouncing simple r words like ‘red’, ‘run’, and ‘rip’ to give your child plenty of practice before moving on to the more challenging words. By doing so, you’ll help build their confidence as well as their articulation skills. Use the word lists we’ve shared below as a resource.
Practice, practice, practice
As they say, practice makes perfect. Encourage your child to pronounce r words throughout the day, not just during their speech therapy sessions.
Go slowly
When your child is ready for the ‘r tongue twisters’, go slowly. Start with the easiest and pronounce the sounds slowly before increasing the speed.
Word Lists
Practice /R/ word lists regularly to help your child pronounce the letter. Check more here:
Benefits of Using R Tongue Twisters for Speech Practice
These r tongue twisters provide a fun and effective way to help children master one of the trickiest sounds in English. They provide repetitive, focused practice that helps build the right articulation skills as well as promote accurate listening and self-awareness.
As they practice the ‘r tongue twisters’ with the Forbrain headset, they will notice when they pronounce the sound incorrectly, improve their pronunciation, and have fun at the same time.
If your child continues to struggle with these ‘r tongue twisters’, pause and return to the basics. Gently remind them how to articulate this tricky sound, work through the word lists, and only when you believe your child is ready, offer the ‘r tongue twisters’ for fun practice.
Step by step, they will improve their pronunciation, boost their confidence, and master the r sound.
Using Forbrain to Practice R Tongue Twisters
R tongue twisters provide a fun way for your child to get the consistent, focused speech therapy practice they need to improve their pronunciation. That’s why we’ve shared this list of ‘r tongue twisters’ along with the bonus ‘r-word lists’ and extra tips for success.
Practice these words and sentences every day, using all the resources we’ve shared and praising your child throughout to see a significant difference in their pronunciation.
For optimal results, use these ‘r tongue twisters’ with our groundbreaking Forbrain headset for just 10 minutes per day. This comfortable headset captures the power of technology and auditory feedback to retrain the brain’s listening and speaking pathways for enhanced language development, pronunciation, and confidence.
Final Words
Helping your child to pronounce the r sound accurately is easier when you use the r tongue twisters, r word lists, and other resources we’ve shared here.
Whether your child still pronounces ‘river’ as ‘wiver’, lacks confidence, or simply hasn’t yet mastered this tricky sound, this fun, silly, rhythmic practice will ensure they have all the practice they need to improve their articulation and develop those language skills that they need for success.