Soft R vs Hard R

The soft r in Spanish has a similar sound to the English “dd” in words such as

“added” or “tt” in words such as “butter.” You pronounce it this way when you find

an r in the middle of a word. 

For example:  

Carolina ~ female name

Pero ~ (but) 

Marina ~ (Marine)

The hard R, also known as the rolling r in Spanish, is the one that most English

speakers associate with the Spanish r, and the one that can cause some

pronunciation issues. You must pronounce the hard r sound in words that start

with r in Spanish, or in words with a double “rr” in the middle of a word. 

Also, sound strong r before any consonant letter.

For example: 

ratón (mouse)

ruido (noise)

Carmen (female name)

Dormir (to sleep)

perro (dog) 

carro (car)