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**CsFLhGNp** · 11-25-2009, 11:06 PM

I wasn't sure that "rolled r" was the description I was looking for, but the only other description I could think of was "that 'r' thing that the Russians do."

This brings me back to hours of voice lessons and having it drilled into me the difference between rolling and flipping Rs. Basically, the roll is where it's longer, "r-r-r" (like Eartha Kitt's schtick), and the flip is the a single instance, where the r is almost made to sound like a soft d instead.

Anyway, another common name with different pronunciation is "Ivan," which in Russian of course would be "ee-VAHN" instead of "EYE-van." I went to college with a guy who was an American-born Russian Jew and bristled at the latter pronunciation, which just means he will constantly have to correct people here in the U.S for the rest of his life.

11-25-2009, 11:06 PM	#11
CsFLhGNp Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 478 Senior Member	I wasn't sure that "rolled r" was the description I was looking for, but the only other description I could think of was "that 'r' thing that the Russians do." This brings me back to hours of voice lessons and having it drilled into me the difference between rolling and flipping Rs. Basically, the roll is where it's longer, "r-r-r" (like Eartha Kitt's schtick), and the flip is the a single instance, where the r is almost made to sound like a soft d instead. Anyway, another common name with different pronunciation is "Ivan," which in Russian of course would be "ee-VAHN" instead of "EYE-van." I went to college with a guy who was an American-born Russian Jew and bristled at the latter pronunciation, which just means he will constantly have to correct people here in the U.S for the rest of his life.
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