# Forum Learning Russian Language Pronunciation, Speech & Accent  Importance of rolling your r's?

## Joel

From the time I was born until last monday I was tongue tied, I got a Lingual Frenectomy(where they cut the frenulum, the skin that holds your tongue down).  It didn't affect my speaking at all, but it wasn't really possible for me to roll my r's still.  Now that im physically capable of it(or I should be anyways) I still can't seem to do it.  I know a small portion of Russian speakers can't do it, and ill probally be understandable, but does it make you seem well....odd?  For example you guys have all talked to somone with a lisp before im sure, they are considerd to have a speech impediment, does your ability to roll your r's sorta place you as the "weird guy" i guess.

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## kalinka_vinnie

You can do it. You need an experienced professional to help you! If there is a will there is a way!!!

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## The_lamb

Hi Joel! When I was a few months old, I had the same surgery. When I began to talk, I couldn’t pronounce the r sound for a quite long time. I remember being teased about that in the kindergarten. Then I went to school, and nobody teased me anymore. I guess I pronounce it ok now. But when I record my speech and listen to it, it seems to me that I have an awful lisp. Well, maybe not that awful, but I know for sure that I talk a little bit different than other people do. But other people either don’t notice it at all, or they are just being nice. Anyway, I DON’T CARE. There are enough things that make me upset, and I am not going to let this little stupid thing bother me. 
I am sure you will overcome your problem, just don’t be so preoccupied (I’m not sure if it’s a correct word to use, can’t think about anything else, but you know what I want to say) about it and as k_v said, get a professional help.

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## Анатолий

Plenty of Russians lisp or mispronounce the Russian R (that is Р), including the famous Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Ulyanov). No need to worry about that!

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## Joel

Well thats good to hear  ::   
PS. I should clarify, I don't have a lisp, I was just using it as an example to compare.  Well I guess it really doesnt matter anyways, but whatever.

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## Rtyom

Yeah, don't worry. Still, you can be understabdable.!  ::

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## fantom605

FREAK!!!!!     ::   
  Just kidding, I can't roll my R's to save my life, and I get made fun of whenever I speak Spanish or make a feeble attempt at Russian or Bulgarian.
 -Fantom

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## VendingMachine

How many times do I have to tell you people, we do not roll our R's in Russian.

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## Jeff

That surgery is just as much of a fraud as circumcision. My tongue is so short it doesn't extend beyond my teeth (because of a genetic condition), but I can pronounce the Russian tapped r. (I can also pronounced the Spanish rolled rr.) Keep practicing. 
P.S. I'm glad you didn't bleed to death.

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## Joel

> That surgery is just as much of a fraud as circumcision. My tongue is so short it doesn't extend beyond my teeth (because of a genetic condition), but I can pronounce the Russian tapped r. (I can also pronounced the Spanish rolled rr.) Keep practicing. 
> P.S. I'm glad you didn't bleed to death.

 Actually, I like the results of the surgery.  It's not like the purpose was to improve speech.  I like the feeling of being able to move my tongue more, stick it out farther, and know in the future it will improve my sex life  ::

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## Rtyom

Good f****** luck ta ya!  ::   ::

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## Mea Culpa

> Originally Posted by Jeff  That surgery is just as much of a fraud as circumcision. My tongue is so short it doesn't extend beyond my teeth (because of a genetic condition), but I can pronounce the Russian tapped r. (I can also pronounced the Spanish rolled rr.) Keep practicing. 
> P.S. I'm glad you didn't bleed to death.   Actually, I like the results of the surgery.  It's not like the purpose was to improve speech.  I like the feeling of being able to move my tongue more, stick it out farther, and know in the future it will improve my sex life

 LOL   ::    
Good improvement!   ::

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## fantom605

> ...in the future it will improve my sex life

  Are you alluding to something about the present?    ::  
 -Fantom

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## Joel

> Originally Posted by Jeff  ...in the future it will improve my sex life     Are you alluding to something about the present?    
>  -Fantom

 You need some kind of award for that one  :: , but seriously, I don't think 15 year olds need to be having sex. I don't want any kids before I leave high school  ::

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## fantom605

Haha, I knew you were only 15, I was just giving you crap...  I know I didn't necessarily want kids in high school, college, or not even now, 3 years out of college!  :: 
 -Fantom

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## ST

heh, imho rolling R is most common in some movies and games about Russians...well, you know: "FoRR MotheRR RRussia!" ^_^

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## awjln

> heh, imho rolling R is most common in some movies and games about Russians...well, you know: "FoRR MotheRR RRussia!" ^_^

 
sure yeh, have you played " freedom fighter" ? hehe

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## oatmealia

> That surgery is just as much of a fraud as circumcision. My tongue is so short it doesn't extend beyond my teeth (because of a genetic condition), but I can pronounce the Russian tapped r. (I can also pronounced the Spanish rolled rr.) Keep practicing. 
> P.S. I'm glad you didn't bleed to death.

 I have a tongue tie.  I _didn't_ get the surgery, and three months ago, I was eating cereal when my sister bumped into my arm.  My spoon slid under my tongue and severed half of my lingual frenulum.  That's a rare danger, I know, but it was a lot less safe than getting the surgery or having my lingual frenulum snipped as a baby, at least as far as control of bleeding goes. 
Having my tongue freed up is great, though it happened somewhat awkwardly.  I can pronounce a more convincing tapped R, I can lick ice cream, I can roll my tongue, I can can stick my tongue out, I can enunciate more clearly when playing the trombone, and I can kiss.  However, I still can't roll my R's.  It's a little obnoxious.  I don't think that having the rest of my excess tissue removed will help, either.

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