letter (r) is pronounced as if it were letter (d)

Question

why is it that the word "eres" is pronounced as if it were spelled as "edes" ?
if letter r in spanish sounds like letter d, therefore,the word like "maravilloso" is pronounced as "madavilloso"...
Is that so....'

Answer 1

The reason is simple: The Spanish D and the English one are different!

When English speakers (especially Americans) pronounce "TODO" we hear "TORO", and when they say "NADA" we hear "NARA".

To give you more details, the Spanish D is pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the upper teeth, and the soft "R" is pronounced touching the alveolar ridge.

In English the D is pronounced touching the alveolar ridge, like the Spanish R, so when you are trying to read Spanish words with D's in it, they all sound weird to us, and sometimes like R's. In the English R, and particularly the American one, the tongue approaches the alveolar ridge, but it is curled upwards and at a higher position than in Spanish, producing a sound we don't have.

Answer 2

This is a very old thread but seemed relevent for ongoing pronunciation practice.

• True, Swampy. I should have read it earlier! ;) - territurtle Jul 22, 2011

Answer 3

I don't know where you get this pronounciation, but "r" doesn't sound like "d"

• A fast "D" as when you pronounce the Spanish words NADA or TODO, it sounds to us as if you were pronouncing an R instead of a D. It is a hint for you to pronounce the R in words such as PARA, that's all. :) - chileno Jul 23, 2011

Answer 4

hello, dunia...
well i learned that pronunciation from other site.
i listened to audio. there were two people discussing about spanish. i think they were johnny and cristina.
Johnny said that the letter (r) in the word eres sounds like letter (d)...so it is pronounced as if it were spelled "ades"..So,it confuses me really...

Answer 5

Hi rey, look at these two very interesting threads. You will be able to roll your r's in no time !

[url=http://my.spanishdict.com/forum/topic/show'id=1710195%3ATopic%3A118787]http://my.spanishdict.com/forum/topic/show'id=1710195%3ATopic%3A118787[/url]

[url=http://my.spanishdict.com/forum/topic/show'id=1710195%3ATopic%3A227608]http://my.spanishdict.com/forum/topic/show'id=1710195%3ATopic%3A227608[/url]
(in this one you have the excellent explanation by Lazarus, specialist in the matter)

Answer 6

I don't know where you get this pronounciation, but "r" doesn't sound like "d"

As a matter of fact, it does!

Answer 7

I beg your pardon for my ignorance, Rey Forte, but it seemed so strange to me this pronounciation (I was thinking in Spanish "d"). Fortunately Lazarus, whom explanation I was expecting in fact, has clarified the whole thing.

Answer 8

thank you very much to all of you...it is clear to me now....

Answer 9

It's more like a flipped R sound.

Answer 10

Can depend which English accent you have too. Irish and Scottish have a closer R to the Spanish. Trying to pronounce an R and a D at the same time works for me..