The Costa Rican 'R'
Costa Rican Spanish has some sounds that are different than those found in other parts of the
Spanish-speaking world. Perhaps the best example is the 'rr' (or 'r-') sound. Most people
who learned Spanish in Junior High will remember starting out by learning the alphabet, and
most notably, that rolling 'r' thing that any self-respecting Spanish speaker uses (according
to your Spanish teacher). While most Spanish speakers worldwide do roll their 'r's, Costa Ricans
are a rare exception.
You can hear the Costa Ricans' different pronunciation of 'rr' simply by having them say their
country's name, Costa Rica. The 'r-' in Costa Rica becomes a the glide [r] that we have in
English...well, almost. The sound is often a very soft fricative, kind of like a rolled 'rr'
that is just made in a very lazy way, lacking the force to get the tongue beating the top of
your mouth.
Some Costa Ricans exaggerate this English 'r' sound more than others, but you will find very
few Ticos, if any at all, who make the traditional 'rr' sound in Spanish.
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