The letter R: listen, repeat, and write
Rabbit · أرنَب
Letter name: آر · Letter sound: رْ (بدون تكرار) /r/
How to say the letter R
Raise the tongue towards the roof of the mouth without touching it, and round the lips slightly: 'rrr'. The tongue does not tap as in the Arabic raa.
In phonics we teach the sound of a letter before its name, because the sound is what the child uses when reading. The name of R is "آر" in Arabic script, but when we read Rabbit we hear the sound /r/.
Words that start with R
Tap a word to hear it, then repeat it with your child
Short sentence
The rabbit runs in the rain.
الأرنب يركض في المطر.
Trace the letter Rr
Write with your finger or mouse over the faded letter, then try the small letter
Letter R worksheets to print
Trace capital R
Dotted tracing rows for capital R with a Rabbit picture.
Trace small r
Dotted tracing rows for small r on handwriting lines.
Picture and word
Rr with a Rabbit picture and words that start with the letter to read, trace and colour.
Colour the letter R
Big outline capital and small letters to colour with the word Rabbit.
Find and circle R
A grid of mixed letters: find capital R and small r and circle them.
Which words start with R?
8 words in English and Arabic: colour the star next to the words that start with the R sound.
Tip for parents and teachers
The Arabic r is fine at first. Later, ask your child to 'growl' like a lion: rrrr with no tongue tap.
What comes after R?
FAQ about the letter R
How is the letter R pronounced?
The letter name is "R". Its reading (phonics) sound is /r/, closest to the Arabic راء إنجليزية بدون تكرار اللسان. Raise the tongue towards the roof of the mouth without touching it, and round the lips slightly: 'rrr'. The tongue does not tap as in the Arabic raa.
What is the difference between the name and the sound of R?
We use the name when spelling, but the sound is what we hear at the start of Rabbit. In phonics we teach the sound first because it is what the child needs to read words.
Which words start with R for kids?
Rabbit (أرنب), Rain (مطر), Red (أحمر), Rose (وردة), Robot (روبوت). Listen to each one on this page.
How do I teach my child the letter R at home?
The Arabic r is fine at first. Later, ask your child to 'growl' like a lion: rrrr with no tongue tap. Then print the free tracing sheet and write capital R and small r together.