Does gargling really help to pronounce the dtuch "r"?

Question

So I have gone through an embarrasing day of coughing, choking, feeling of sick and dry throat. I am starting to feel a tiny bit of how it is like. Is it really like gargling water down in your throat? How is your tongue positioned when you pronounce it? Mine is lifted up a little at the end while the tip of my tongue touches the front teeth.

Answer 1

I think you are a bit confused... It's the Dutch G (or SCH in some cases) that sounds like gargling/clearing your throat to many foreigners, not the R... The Dutch R sounds pretty much the same as the English one in most parts of the country.

Answer 2

I would not bother, the "r" as I pronounce it has nothing to do with gargling.

Within the Dutch language area there are so many different pronunciations of the "r" that whatever your natural pronunciation is, it is likely to be understood, might even be right.

I would say, on average, we pronounce the "r" a little more than what is considered 'proper English' but no way near as heavy as in some of the Scottish local accents.

I just tried to feel when saying the letter, in my case the tongue is flat and at rest, except for a little trilling in the back end (or is the trilling in the throat?)

But I also know that a lot of Dutch kids have some trouble learning to pronounce the "r" right, as all kids that got help with pronunciation one or more lessons in our school, almost all also had to train their RRrrr.

Training did mostly include saying a lot of sentences with a lot of r's, like 'Rollende radijsjes rollen rond Rotterdam.'  Which is one sentence I needed to say often as child.