R and L: Two Sounds, One Korean Habit

Korean has one liquid consonant that can sound like either r or l depending on where it sits in a word, which makes the strict English r/l split genuinely tricky at first — 'right' and 'light,' or 'rock' and 'lock,' can blend together. Here's the key difference: for English l, your tongue tip touches right behind your top front teeth; for English r, your tongue curls back and doesn't touch anything at all. Try this pair slowly: light/right, glass/grass, collect/correct — feel whether your tongue touches or stays floating. A quick two-minute check: say 'la la la' and notice your tongue tapping the roof of your mouth, then say 'ra ra ra' and notice your tongue pulling back with no contact. Switch back and forth five times, exaggerating the difference. This distinction takes real repetition to master, so be patient with yourself — steady practice really does pay off here.