Whether to Use the Strong (Trilled) R in Consonant Clusters
I am aware that in Spanish there are generally two pronunciations of the R sound: "ere", a soft R similar to an English "d", and "erre", a strong (trilled) R sound. I read from a previously answered question that the strong R is used in 5 situations:
At the start of a word, as in "rojo." When there are two "r"s together in a word, as in "arriba." When the "r" is after an "l," "n," or "s," as in "alrededores, "sonrisa," and "desrazonable." When the "r" is before another consonant in a word, as in "perdido." When the "r" is at the end of a word, as in "amar."
When listening to native Spanish speakers, however, I notice a slight trill in consonant clusters including an R (similar to the slight trill used at the end of words ending in R) "Primo" " Trabajo" "Grande" "Madrid"
These examples don't seem to follow any of the 5 situations listed above. Is the slight trill I hear not even there at all? Is it due to a regional pronunciation? Is the soft R sound sometimes slightly trilled in these situations? Or is it something else altogether?
Thank you for your help!
1 Answer
The clusters you name just naturally give rise to the semi-trilled "r" Words like "creo" "podría" and all the ones you mentioned. It's almost impossible to pronounce a "single tap" "alveolar flap" as the single "r" as in "señora" or "pero."
Just try to pronounce the single "r" in the clusters you mentioned. I can't do it.
