Thread: everyone's best friend - russian Р

So I can roll my р's no problem. I'm just confused as to what the difference is between the hard and soft Р. Where you put your tongue on words like русски, рад, and родной

as opposed to

словарь, рядом, and ребенок?

The position of the middle of the tongue makes the main difference. When pronouncing «рь», your tongue’s tip occupies the same place as with «р», but its middle part is risen upwards like for the [i] sound.

Soft is a tap (usually, songs ,I've seen, like to roll them because...It's cool), that is *alveolar*. https://www.google.com/search?q=ling...IVDymICh3LjQAp . With the usual part of the tongue raised to the palate, like other soft letters. However, I believe that hard Р is *post-alveolar* (Along with ш). Rather than on/inbetween the teeth and gum line, it's made with the tongue along the ridge of the mouth's "hill".