Do you struggle with words like "break," "great," or "friend"? These words start with R-blends, consonant clusters where a consonant is immediately followed by the /r/ sound. R-blends are particularly challenging for Spanish speakers because the English /r/ sound is very different from the Spanish /r/.
This guide will teach you how to pronounce all six major R-blends in English: BR, CR, DR, FR, GR, and PR.
What Are R-Blends?
An R-blend is when a consonant sound is immediately followed by the /r/ sound at the beginning of a word or syllable. Both sounds are pronounced quickly together, but each sound remains distinct.
The six main R-blends in English:
- BR - break, bridge, brown
- CR - create, cry, cream
- DR - drive, dream, drop
- FR - free, friend, from
- GR - great, green, grow
- PR - practice, pretty, problem
Note: TR blends (like "try," "tree") often undergo palatalization in American English, making them sound like "CHR." See our dedicated article on TR and DR palatalization for more details.
Why R-Blends Are Hard for Spanish Speakers
The main challenge is the English /r/ sound itself:
- The English /r/ is made with the tongue curled back (retroflex) or bunched up, never touching the roof of the mouth
- The Spanish /r/ is a tap or trill where the tongue touches the roof of the mouth
- In blends, you must transition smoothly from the first consonant to this unfamiliar /r/ position
How to Make the English /r/ Sound
Before practicing R-blends, make sure you can produce the English /r/:
- Curl your tongue back (retroflex) or bunch it up in the middle of your mouth
- Keep your tongue from touching the roof of your mouth
- Round your lips slightly
- Produce a continuous sound (it should feel like a vowel)
BR Blend
The BR blend combines the voiced bilabial stop /b/ with /r/. Your lips come together for B, then quickly release as your tongue moves into the R position.
Common BR Words
More BR Words to Practice
brave, bread, breakfast, breath, breathe, brick, brief, bright, broad, broke, brush
CR Blend
The CR blend combines the voiceless velar stop /k/ with /r/. The back of your tongue touches the soft palate for K, then quickly releases as your tongue moves into the R position.
Common CR Words
More CR Words to Practice
craft, crash, crawl, credit, creek, crew, crime, crisp, critic, crop, cruel, cruise, crush
DR Blend
The DR blend combines the voiced alveolar stop /d/ with /r/. In American English, DR often sounds like "JR" due to palatalization. Your tongue touches behind your upper teeth for D, then quickly moves into the R position.
Common DR Words
More DR Words to Practice
draft, drag, drain, drama, draw, drawer, dread, drill, drip, driver, drum, drunk
FR Blend
The FR blend combines the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/ with /r/. Your upper teeth touch your lower lip for F, then quickly release as your tongue moves into the R position.
Common FR Words
More FR Words to Practice
frame, frank, freak, freeze, frequent, fridge, fried, frighten, frog, front, frost, frown, frozen, fry
GR Blend
The GR blend combines the voiced velar stop /ɡ/ with /r/. The back of your tongue touches the soft palate for G, then quickly releases as your tongue moves into the R position.
Common GR Words
More GR Words to Practice
grab, grace, grain, grammar, grand, grant, grape, graph, grasp, grass, grateful, grave, gray, greed, grill, grin, grip, grocery, groom, gross
PR Blend
The PR blend combines the voiceless bilabial stop /p/ with /r/. Your lips come together for P, then quickly release with a small burst of air as your tongue moves into the R position.
Common PR Words
More PR Words to Practice
pray, predict, prefer, prepare, press, prevent, pride, prime, print, private, prize, process, produce, professor, project, promise, proof, proper, protect, proud, prove, provide
How to Pronounce R-Blends Correctly
Step 1: Master the English /r/ First
If you can't produce a good English /r/ in isolation, you'll struggle with R-blends. Practice the /r/ sound by itself before adding the first consonant.
Step 2: Prepare Your Tongue Early
As you make the first consonant, your tongue should already be moving toward the R position. Think of it as one smooth motion, not two separate sounds.
Step 3: Don't Add a Vowel
Don't say "buh-reak" for "break" or "puh-roblem" for "problem." The transition should be direct.
Step 4: Keep the R Sound
Make sure the /r/ sound is clearly audible. Don't let it disappear into the following vowel.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake #1: Using the Spanish /r/
× Using a tapped or trilled /r/ sound
✓ Use the English retroflex /r/ with the tongue NOT touching the roof
Mistake #2: Adding a Vowel Between Sounds
× "buh-rown" instead of "brown"
× "guh-reen" instead of "green"
Fix: Move directly from the first consonant to R without any vowel.
Mistake #3: Dropping the R Sound
× "beak" instead of "break"
× "geat" instead of "great"
Fix: Make sure you can hear the /r/ sound clearly after the first consonant.
Practice Sentences
Try these sentences that combine multiple R-blends:
- BR + FR: My brother is my best friend.
- CR + GR: The crowd watched the grass grow.
- DR + PR: She dreams of becoming a professor.
- FR + BR: Fresh bread smells wonderful.
- GR + PR: The group will practice tomorrow.
- PR + CR: Please don't criticize my pronunciation.
R-Blend Tongue Twisters
Practice these challenging sentences:
- Brown bread is better than white bread.
- The crazy crow cried and cried.
- Drew dreamed of driving a dragon.
- Freddy fried fresh fish on Friday.
- Green grapes grow in the garden.
- Pretty Priscilla practices pronunciation.
Key Takeaways
- R-blends are consonant clusters where a consonant is followed by /r/ at the start of a word
- English has six main R-blends: BR, CR, DR, FR, GR, PR
- The English /r/ is different from the Spanish /r/ (it's retroflex, not tapped or trilled)
- Don't add a vowel sound between the consonants
- Make sure the /r/ sound is clearly audible
- Practice the English /r/ in isolation first, then add the first consonant
R-blends take time to master because the English /r/ is so different from Spanish. Be patient with yourself and practice a few minutes every day. Focus on one blend at a time until it feels comfortable, then move to the next one.