The Japanese R (ら行): It's Not the English R or L
らりるれろ is the sound that instantly marks a foreign accent — because learners reach for their own language’s R or L, and Japanese has neither. The real sound is a quick tap of the tongue, and once you feel it, it’s surprisingly easy.
What ら行 Actually Is
The Japanese ら行 consonant is an alveolar tap — the tongue lightly and quickly taps the ridge just behind your upper teeth, then releases. It is the same motion as the tt in American English “butter” or “water,” or the single r in Spanish “pero.”
It is not the English R (which rounds the lips and pulls the tongue back), and not the English L (which presses and holds the tongue). It sits in between — a single, light flick.
How to Make It
- Say the English word “butter” quickly, American-style: budder. Feel where the tongue taps.
- That tap is your ら行 consonant. Now add a vowel: ら, り, る, れ, ろ.
- Keep your lips relaxed and unrounded — if your lips move, you’re slipping back into the English R.
- Make it light and fast. A long, held sound becomes L; a rounded one becomes R.
Mistakes by Language Background
- English speakers: tend to round the lips and retroflex, producing an English R. Relax the lips and shorten the contact to a tap.
- Speakers whose language distinguishes R/L sharply: may force a clear L. Japanese ら is lighter and quicker than an L — don’t hold it.
- Everyone: over-thinking it. The tap is fast and casual. Speed actually makes it more accurate, not less.
Practice Words
Teacher’s Note
Don’t chase a “perfect” R — chase a light, quick tap. Record yourself saying ありがとう and compare it to native audio. The single biggest improvement for most learners is simply relaxing the lips and making the contact shorter.
Hear it, then copy it
Nihongo Pass gives you native audio on every word, so you can model your ら行 on the real sound — not your native language’s R.
Start Free Training →