A person's mouth

“Can a rolling ‘R’ be taught?”, Redditor u/LessElderberry5776 recently posted to r/explainlikeimfive.

They explained, “I have tried to learn how to speak Spanish, but the main issue... is that I cannot roll my ’r’s no matter how much I try. My mouth just refuses to make that noise.

“How are children taught to make that noise, and can adults be taught who have never done it?” they ended.

Redditor, you and I are (or should that be ⟨ʀ⟩) in the same boat. I can’t make that noise, no matter how hard I try ― it feels so impossible to me that I wonder if my inability is genetic.

But then, I think, whole countries are filled with people who can create the sound effortlessly. Do you need to build the appropriate muscles as a kid, a bit like gymnasts?

Or can everyone learn it?

Why can’t I roll my “r”s?

The technical term for a rolled “r” is a........

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