Lesson 6: After the Vowel – It’s All ウ

Just when you thought you were done with R and L… Surprise! There’s one more twist.

After a vowel, both R and L often disappear into a gentle glide—something that sounds just like ウ.

English Doesn’t Like to End with a Bang

Words rarely end sharply with R or L. Instead, the sound trails off with a soft, rounded finish.

Examples:

It’s not katakana—it's just rhythm.

These words aren’t spoken with a hard L or R and not even with a strong "U" just a hint. They melt into a soft glide that sounds like… yes, ウ.

How to Practice

• Say “Bill” slowly. End with a light ウ instead of curling your tongue.
• Say “Apple” without pressing the L. Let your voice drift off.
• Try singing: Bill〜〜〜 / Girl〜〜〜

No clenching. No growling. Just let it flow.

Why It Matters

If you try to pronounce the full R or L, you’ll sound tense or robotic. But if you glide with a soft ウ, you’ll sound fluent, relaxed—just like a native.

Even native speakers often say:

• “Bill” → “Biu”
• “Girl” → “Giu”
• “Apple” → “Apu”

So yes—go ahead. Glide into ウ. You have native permission.

Test Yourself

• Say: Bill, Girl, Apple, Paul, People
• Now say them with a gentle ウ at the end
• Which version sounds more natural?

Welcome to the secret club of post-vowel ウ.

—Symeon