How to Master the “R”, “GN” & “GLI” Sounds in Italian

The mouth is a muscle and needs to be conditioned to move in the way you want it to.

When you start speaking Italian, your mouth might not function properly with all of the new sounds…and even if it does, it may take way longer to produce these new sounds than it does in your native language.

Totally normal. The mouth is a muscle and needs to be conditioned to move in the way you want it to.

With that in mind, we’re looking at how to pronounce the rolling “R,” the “GLI” sound, and the “GN” sound.

I am by no means a pronunciation expert, but I’ve done my best to share what I’ve learned from an academic/linguistics perspective in combination with more mainstream advice.*

The “R” Sound

Words you already say in English that have built your muscle to roll your “R”

• Stutter

• Flutter

• Butter

• Ladder

You’ll feel what a rolled “R” would feel like on the double t’s or d’s. You can also try saying “t + d” in a row.

Use either “t + d” or a word like “stutter” over and over again to practice.

CPF: If you’re feeling theatric, you can also imitate a machine gun for practice. Just sayin’.

What to do with your mouth to roll your “R”