The Danish R: At the Start of a Word, and When It Turns Into a Vowel
The Danish r comes in two kinds. At the start of a word or syllable it's made at the back of the throat, close to a soft French r. After a vowel it mostly stops being a consonant and colours the vowel instead, which is why mor and far end in a vowel sound rather than an r.
r or d?
Learners who make the r too far forward can end up close to a d. Listen to the difference:
red
Bilen er rød.The car is red.
dead
Planten er død.The plant is dead.
The Danish r is made at the back of the throat, close to a soft French r; d is at the teeth.
r at the start of a word
- rejse
to travel
Vi skal ud at rejse.We're going travelling.
- ret
right (correct)
Du har ret.You're right.
- regn
rain
Der kommer regn.Rain is coming.
- ræv
fox
Se, en ræv!Look, a fox!
r after a vowel
Here there's no consonant to hear: the r shapes the vowel before it.
- mor
mother
Det er min mor.That's my mother.
- far
father
Det er min far.That's my father.
- bager
baker
Han arbejder som bager.He works as a baker.
- lærer
teacher
Hun er lærer.She is a teacher.
- her
here
Kom her!Come here!
Light, not rolled
The Danish r is never rolled or trilled. Keep it soft and short: a light friction at the back of the mouth, not a growl.