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Estoy aprendiendo español, y es un poco difícil para mí pronunciar «tr-» como en «traer», y todavía más difícil pronunciar «-str-» como en «maestro». No tengo problemas con estos sonidos en inglés, mi lengua materna, pero la «r» vibrante del español es muy distinta de la aproximante del inglés. ¿Otras personas tienen esta misma dificultad? ¿Cómo pronunciarlas mejor?

Agradeceré que corrijan mi español.

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    Tu español es perfecto. Tienes un muy buen nivel.
    – Schwale
    Jul 31, 2016 at 18:05
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    @Ustanak No, it was worse before. Someone edited it for me. :P
    – Akiva Weinberger
    Jul 31, 2016 at 18:06
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    Oh, but you had a few mistakes, but it's good anyhow!
    – Schwale
    Jul 31, 2016 at 18:07
  • También hay adultos en España/sudamerica que tienen problemas de pronunciación de la R vibrante. De hecho es el problema de dicción más común en castellano. Es uno de los últimos sonidos que aprenden correctamente los niños. Prueba con este trabalenguas: "El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo porque Ramón Ramirez se lo ha cortado"
    – roetnig
    Aug 1, 2016 at 9:37
  • this question will also help spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/1273/…
    – DGaleano
    Aug 1, 2016 at 19:38

2 Answers 2

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I've seen many English-speakers have trouble with these consonant compounds, as the natural way to pronounce them in English is very different.

They are actually difficult to learn: kids tend to learn them later than most simple sounds.

A trick (some) kids inadvertently use and may even be a step in their learning is to add intermediate es (or reduplicating another neighboring vowel): *taraer, *maestero. Not sure how these sound said by a foreign adult, though.

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    As a Spanish speaker, I tend to pronounce English the same way as I speak Spanish, so what's the difference in the -tr- group between train and tren? And in the -str- group between string and estreno?
    – Charlie
    Jul 31, 2016 at 15:38
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    @CarlosAlejo The English "tr" is more of a "chr" sound, with a very un-rolled "r".
    – Akiva Weinberger
    Jul 31, 2016 at 19:52
  • @CarlosAlejo just as in Spanish there are many ways for natives to pronounce the same word which is why we understand you however you say train. Actually even if you said tren we would still get it.
    – mdewey
    Aug 1, 2016 at 7:53
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In my opinion, the easiest way to say these words is to find some in English with similar sounds:

In the case of traer, you could try "trial", (pronounced /traɪəl/) and take away the /ɪəl/ sound and add /er/, like in "error". You would then get /traer/.

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    But the English "r" is very different from the Spanish "r".
    – Akiva Weinberger
    Jul 31, 2016 at 18:07
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    Agreed. If you pronounc "traer" as you do "trial" in English, you will be pronouncing it very wrong. "Trial" is properly pronounced as [ˈtɹa͡ɪə͡l]. Note the [ɹ] sound of the R (not the [r] in your transcription). "traer" is pronounced as [tɾaˈɛɾ]. Note the Spanish [ɾ] vs the English [ɹ].
    – Flimzy
    Aug 1, 2016 at 9:20
  • @Flimzy, also ts are different, in English being aspirated while in Spanish not.
    – Rafael
    Aug 1, 2016 at 13:15

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