60 Spanish Words That Start With R And How To Roll Your Rs With Explanation

Hola, Spanish language lovers!

You’re in for a treat if you’re looking to expand your Spanish vocabulary. In this post, we’re giving you 60 Spanish words that start with R. It’s a tricky letter in the Spanish alphabet, so we will also explain how you can pronounce it.

Spring Spanish (a project I co-founded) teacher Paulísima explains how you can roll your Rs in Spanish. You can master it!

And now, time for some fascinating facts about this letter, and to go through all of the Spanish words that start with R.

Let’s get started!

1. Fun Facts About the Spanish Letter R

The letter R is a star player in the Spanish alphabet, nestled between Q and S. 

It’s pronounced with a thrilling rolling sound that adds the unique rhythm to Spanish.

Interestingly, the Spanish R has two variations: a single tap, as in pero (but), and a full roll, as in perro (dog). (More on this later.)

The truth is that there’s a fun fact about the letter R: In many Spanish-speaking countries, the pronunciation of R is different in every region – basically, the different Spanish dialects have their own pronunciations.

But how do you do it? Let’s roll!

2. How to roll your Rs in Spanish

Rolling your Rs can seem tricky at first… And to be honest, it’s not the easiest Spanish topic of all.

But!

spanish words that start with r digital style

We’re here to help you.

To roll your Rs, start by placing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper front teeth. Make a strong breath of air flow across your tongue while keeping it still—this will create vibrations that produce that characteristic rolling sound.

A great exercise is to practice with words like perro (dog) or carro (car).

Start with the sound trrr or use a playful approach by pretending to imitate the purring of a cat to get your tongue and airflow in the right position.

Just don’t rush it! 😉

For a more in-depth guide, check out our dedicated article on how to roll your Rs in Spanish, where we break down tips and techniques to refine your skills even further.

3. Spanish verbs that start with R

Let’s kick things off with some action!

spanish words that start with r in golden colors

Here are some dynamic verbs that start with R to help you express what you love to do.

SpanishEnglish
reir
to laugh
renunciar
to resign
recibir
to receive
romper
to break
recorrer
to travel around
responder
to respond
repetir
to repeat
revisar
to review
regresar
to return
remar
to row
rendir
to yield
reclamar
to claim
retirar
to withdraw
reflejar
to reflect
rellenar
to fill

4. Spanish nouns that start with R

Next up, let’s explore some Spanish nouns.

These words can help you describe anything: people, places, and things that are all around you.

SpanishEnglish
el río
river
la reina
queen
el ratón
mouse
la ropa
clothes
la relación
relationship
el reloj
clock
el restaurante
restaurant
el regalo
gift
la residencia
residence
la roca
rock
el recurso
resource
el rumor
rumor
la revolución
revolution
la razón
reason
la república
republic

5. Spanish adjectives that start with R

Now, let’s sprinkle some descriptions into our vocabulary.

spanish words that start with r postmodern style

Here are adjectives starting with R to help you express yourself better.

SpanishEnglish
rápido
fast
rico
rich/delicious
realista
realistic
raro
rare/strange
resistente
resistant
roto
broken
rojo
red
refrescante
refreshing
rítmico
rhythmic
repugnante
disgusting
radiante
radiant
reverente
reverent
robusto
robust
reacio
reluctant
respetuoso
respectful

6. Common Spanish adverbs that start with R

spanish words that start with r in wooden style

Last but not least, let’s add some adverbs to enhance your sentences and make them more fluid!

SpanishEnglish
rápidamente
quickly
recientemente
recently
regularmente
regularly
realmente
really
rigurosamente
rigorously
resueltamente
resolutely
rotundamente
emphatically
respetuosamente
respectfully
retóricamente
rhetorically
repentinamente
suddenly
repetidamente
repeatedly
radicalmente
radically
relajadamente
relaxedly
revolucionariamente
revolutionarily

7. Learn Spanish Words That Start With R with Conversation-Based Chunking

Now that we’ve compiled an extensive list of Spanish words beginning with R, it’s time to apply them in practical situations.

But how do you do that?

The Conversation Based Chunking technique is an effective method for learning vocabulary by incorporating words into realistic dialogues.

For example, don’t just memorize these words one by one but practice them in your own Spanish sentences:

  • El coche es rápido (The car is fast).

If you learn like this, you’ll know that rápido can be used like this in context, and won’t just remember it’s meaning alone.

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