Roll With It: Spanish Spelling Words with RR and R

R is the most notorious letter in the Spanish language.

For some, tongue rolling comes naturally while for others (both native and non-native speakers) it takes years to master. It’s crucial to practice the letter as much as possible for improved Spanish pronunciation. One of the best ways to do so is with Spanish spelling words, and we’re providing a ton of them here for you!

Spanish Spelling Words: Letters R and RR

The first step in learning the Spanish R is rolling your tongue. However, there is more to the R pronunciation than just trilling. There are actually two different ways to say this letter.

Soft R

• When there is a single R in the middle of the word, it is pronounced with a light trill or a small flight of the tongue.

Hard R

• The hard R is pronounced with a strong trill and is what most people think of with a Spanish accent. The hard R is used with:
  • A single R at the beginning of a word
  • A single R at the end of a word
  • An RR in the middle of the word. 

For our Spanish spelling words today, we will be focusing on the hard R pronunciation at the beginning of a word and as an RR. Note that Spanish words never start with a RR; it is only found in the middle of words. 

Spanish Spelling Words that Start with R

To make the most of the following Spanish spelling lists, practice them as much as you can. Start with just a couple words and write them on a post-it note or a whiteboard. Constantly seeing the words you are trying to master will help you commit them to long-term memory. 

Also, don’t be afraid to practice spelling the words in Spanish out loud. It may seem weird at first to spell words to yourself, but it is a great way to practice outside of Spanish class. If you are using these lists with your kids or friends, quiz each other on your spelling. 

Try to always spell the following words in Spanish. Whether you say the letters out loud or in your head, it’s important to use the Spanish letter pronunciations to prepare yourself for when you are asked to spell something in Spanish. (It happens more often than you think, especially with names!) To get you started, here the pronunciations of the letters that appear most often in the lists below:

R: air-ray

A: ah

E: ay

I: ee

O: oh

U: oo

For the RR, you can either say air-ray air-ray or doble air-ray (double R).

RA- Words

RE- Words

RI- Words

RO- Words

RU- Words

Spanish Spelling Words that Contain RR

Spelling in Spanish Leads to Fluency

Spelling may seem like something just for elementary students or spelling bee champs. However, ortografía is an essential step to great writing and reading skills. This is especially true in a foreign language like Spanish, which has many cognates and false cognates. 

If you are worried about using these Spanish spelling words with the letter R, don’t stress yourself out. You do not have to be able to roll your Rs to master spelling with the R and RR. Quite the contrary, this is a great way to practice those tricky Rs!

Teaching Tips

If you want to use the spelling lists with your Spanish students or children, try these following ideas to make the learning process fun!

• With preschoolers and lower elementary students, you can incorporate interactive crafts. Print out some coloring worksheets, trace words in sand, spell out words with letter blocks or magnets, and label objects around the house that start with R in Spanish.
• For older students (and adults!) try some simple word games. Get out the family Scrabble game and play it in Spanish, or create an informal game with just a pencil and paper. If you’re feeling ambitious, try making your own crossword with Spanish R and RR words. 
• Make up some fun songs, raps, or cheers with key Spanish vocabulary and have the children spell out some of the R words in Spanish. 
• Create a friendly competition by posting a short spelling list and seeing how many words your kids or students can memorize by the end of the week. Give them some extra incentive with a point chart or small prizes.
• Of course, you can always host a Spanish spelling bee! Feel free to combine words from our other Spanish spelling lists to up the difficulty.

Learn how to roll your ‘Rs’ in Spanish with this youtube video!

Don’t wait any longer! Master the Spanish R and RR today. Move through the spelling lists at your own pace, and you will soon become a Spanish spelling master! ¡Repasa las palabras con R y RR!

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Ashley Reid

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I have a B.A. in Linguistics and a passion for Spanish. I've lived in Latin America for almost a decade. I'm a freelance writer and ESL teacher, as well as a loving mom and wife. In my free time, I dabble in art and music.

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