The French 'r'

[jim]

Son of a freaking b----. Why can't I get this?

Sometimes I get it pretty well, sometimes I completely miss it, and yet other times I over do it and it sounds like I am going to hack a loggey on you.

[Radbird]

Although my Jr High French teacher described it as gargling, I think it's more like trying to hawk up something stuck in your throat.

[Hungary Jack]

Forget about the typical English "r" sound. Imagine an "h" sound made in the back of your throat, with a little bit of "r" thrown in.

[Maclowery]

More saliva than you would usually have when you speak English. In high school, I had the best accent in my French class. Pretty mediocre at the actual graded stuff, but Madame always complimented me on the oral exercises (snicker). Depressing that I've lost probably 95% of what I was capable of ten years ago.

[jim]

I've got the Foreign Service Institute's Phonology class - about 12 hours of nothing but pronunciation. I know what I am supposed to do, I'm just having trouble doing it depending on what is before/after the 'r' sound 'at speed'. I can do it if I slow down, but at conversational speed it sometimes just falls apart on me.

There are two 'r' sounds - one more like a prank phone call/choking on something gasp and the other more of the "gargling". The gasp I have more or less, the gargling is where I usually over/under do it.

[clevername]

I thought this thread might be sexier than it turned out to be.