That Sneaky R Sound: An SLP’s Guide to Helping Your Child Find Their ‘R-Voice’

If your child struggles to say the /r/ sound, welcome—you’ve joined a very large, very relatable club. As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I often joke that the /r/ sound is the final boss of articulation. It wiggles. It curls. It refuses to sit still. It has roughly 74 versions (okay, technically eight, but still). And yes, it can cause a lot of understandable worry.

Children (and even adults!) can have a tough time with /r/, whether it’s part of a broader speech sound disorder, a mild articulation difficulty, or a speech and language delay that makes certain sounds tricky to produce. But here’s the important part: your child isn’t alone, and neither are you.

And in case no one has told you today: You’re doing a fantastic job supporting your child’s communication.

Let’s break down why /r/ is so hard—and what you can do at home to help.

5 Tips to Support Your Child with the /r/ Sound (From an SLP Who Teaches R Daily)

1. Don’t Force It—Let “R” Come When They’re Ready

Unlike sounds like b, m, or p, the /r/ sound requires very complex tongue movements. Kids often need more time to develop the coordination needed. Pressuring them (“Come on, say ‘rabbit’… no, say it again… slower!”) can make communication stressful.

Instead, keep things light and encouraging. If they say “wabbit,” you can model it back as:“Ah! Yes, the rabbit is hopping!”

Gentle modeling? Great. Kid-friendly pressure? Not so great.

2. Play With Silly R-Sounds (AKA: The R-Voice Game)

Kids love games, and games build skills.Try this: “Let’s talk like pirates! Arggg!” or “Let’s pretend we’re lions! Rrrr!” These playful growling and pirate sounds help kids practice tongue tension—an important building block for all forms of /r/. If you don’t feel ridiculous, you’re not doing it right.

3. Use Mirrors—Kids Love Watching Themselves

Some children benefit from seeing how their tongue and mouth move. Stand together in front of a mirror and make silly faces, wide smiles, tongue lifts, or tiny growls. Don’t worry—no one is grading your pirate impression. This can be helpful for kids with articulation errors, dysarthria, or difficulty coordinating movements for speech.

4. Model Words Naturally Instead of Correcting

If your child says “guhl” for “girl,” or “wice” for “rice,” avoid calling attention to the error. Instead, simply repeat the word correctly in a natural conversation.

Child: “Can I have more wice?”

You: “More rice? Sure! Here’s more rice.”

Over time, this exposure helps build the correct sound map in their brain—without frustration.

5. If the R-Sound Isn’t Improving, Call in Your Friendly Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)

If your child is 5 or older and still struggling with /r/, it’s very appropriate to check in with a speech-language pathologist. We can help with:

• Guiding you and providing resources

• Articulation delays

• Speech sound disorders

• Persistent /r/ distortions

• Childhood dysarthria

• Speech delays affecting sound development

An SLP will break the /r/ sound down into small, manageable steps. We often starting with tongue placement, tension, airflow, or vowel-R combinations (like “er,” “ar,” “or”). And yes, we make it fun and bring a whole lot of encouragement. An SLP who practices with the Life Participation Approach can help build your child's speech skills in meaning tasks. In Life Participation Approach, communication is built around meaningful, functional interactions, not drills or pressure.

You’re Doing Great—Really

The "r" journey can take time. Sometimes kids nail it in a few weeks; sometimes it unfolds slowly. So celebrate the little wins, laugh at the silly pirate voices, and trust that improvement will happen with the right support. And if you ever feel lost, overwhelmed, or unsure, your pediatric speech-language pathologist is here to help—with counseling, coaching, and lots of patience.

Remember: communication is a team sport, and you and your child are winning.

Have Questions?I’m here to help—whether you’re a parent, teacher, or a speech language pathologist. Drop a comment, send a message, or give us a call!

Learn more about speech-language-voice-cognitive-swallow therapy or what we do as speech language pathologists, and our in home and virtual private speech therapy settings:

call/text us at 818.823.8022 or email us at hello@thechatroomtherapy.com.

We provide virtual speech therapy visits/telehealth visits in California, and in home services in Montrose, La Crescenta, La Canada, and Pasadena, CA areas.

We also provide speech therapy in Mandarin Chinese. 中文/國語語言治療

Vicki Chia Hui Lin, M.S., CCC-SLP

Founder, The Chat Room Therapy

Vicki is a California licensed and American Speech Language and Hearing Association certified speech language pathologist. She is a highly accomplished and award-winning Speech-Language Pathologist with extensive experience with both adults and children, with particular specialties in gender affirming voice therapy, adult voice disorders, post stroke or head and neck cancer related voice, communication, cognitive, and swallow difficulties.  Vicki has received various accolades, and is recognized for her excellence in patient care, life participation therapy approaches, and leadership in the field.

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