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Vocalic R For Speech Therapy

Treating the vocalic R in speech therapy can be TOUGH; however, there are ways to ease the pain. Keep reading to learn about my teaching techniques and favorite new materials

*vocalic R is when R comes after a vowel: or, ar, air, ire, er, ear

The Vocalic R Overview

Vocalic R is when R comes after a vowel. In English, there are 7 of them:

• rl (I  just threw that one in here because it is not prevocalic and it is difficult to teach!)

Personally, I believe that the vocalic R is difficult for some to learn because

• the slight variations of R due to the preceding vowel
• it is hard to see what the tongue is doing
• vowels and R are very similar in their voice/place/manner

How To Teach The Vocalic R

1st: assess all r  variations.

When a child is having difficulty with R, I first assess if he or she is having difficulty with ALL Rs. Most likely a child will be able to say one variation correctly. I assess:

• Initial or Prevocalic R
• R Blends: gr, fr, br, kr, dr, pr, tr
• Vocalic R: or, er, air, ar, ear, ire, RL

Anecdotally , I have the most success with GR and KR

• The tongue is already in the back for the K and G.  
• Start with "green" or "cream" since the tongue will naturally anchor to the top molars when saying saying the vowel "eeee.

2nd: Review anatomy

• get our your favorite "mouth" 
• review what the tongue, teeth, and jaw have to do to say R
• my tips : tongue back, sides of tongue touch back teeth, tongue is a tight ball
• I love the mouth below from Amazon. It is affordable, small, and durable. I have a few! I have the child use playdoh to make a tongue. Then we shape that tongue for an R. I use that playdoh tongue and mouth all session for feedback. Click the image below to grab it!

• You can also use print or no-print cue cards to review anatomy. The ones below are available on the membership site.

3rd: Practice the R the child CAN say

• use the R the child can say correctly to "train the ears" on how an R is suppose to sound 
• the child will start to discriminate between a right and wrong R
• the child will learn how a correct R feels in the mouth

4th: For vocalic R, start with the vowel!

If you want tips on prevocalic R, click here.

• many times, the child isn't saying the vowel correctly when R succeeds it
• use the cues/worksheets below to teach/review vowels
• these cues are now up Speech Therapy Talk's Membership Site.

5th: Combine vowel with R

• I use the cue sheets to start combing the vowel with R.
• I move SLOWLY and NEVER break voicing
• Moving slow gives the child time to get his/her tongue in the right position

6th: Move to word practice

• Once the child can say R at the syllable level with visual and verbal cues, I move to words, etc....
• I like to use the worksheets below to review anatomy and then jump to drill practice. They are great for home practice too.

Vocalic R Materials

When teaching prevocalic and vocalic R, we need the right cues and teaching materials. I added the new materials to the membership site.

Animated Cue Cards

• animated cue cards for OR, AR, IRE, EAR, EAR, ER, AND RL
• Great for teaching and providing the specific feedback each child needs (not too much or too little)

Printable Cue Cards

• Printable cue cards for OR, AR, IRE, EAR, EAR, ER, AND RL
• These are great handouts and help to keep all caregivers on the same page!

Teaching Material

• visual cues for how to combine the vowel to R
• use for teaching phase and review as needed

Specific Vocalic R Warm Up

• Warm-Up for: OR, AR, IRE, EAR, EAR, ER, AND RL
• Use for goal review, anatomy review, and to "warm up" muscles
• plus get quick drill practice

Prevocalic & Vocalic R Practice

• If a child can either say the prevocalic R but not the vocalic R (and vice versa), you can use that!
• Use phonetic placement to facilitate the needed R. 
• I LOVE THESE!

New Print and No-Print Materials

• web memory game
• no-print flashcards
• print flashcards
• leveled flashcards

Want To Grab These Materials?

I've got you! If you want to grab these R materials and thousands of other materials, please join my awesome membership!

• Word Lists For Speech Therapy
• R Word List For Articulation Practice
• Vocalic R Tips For Speech Therapy

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R Words for Speech Therapy (Lists and Activities)

Looking for R words for speech therapy? Speech-language pathologists looking for a quick list of initial r words, medial r, and final r target words to practice during speech therapy, make sure to bookmark this post. You’ll also find some great ideas for making r therapy more effective with a variety of engaging games, articulation worksheets, and speech therapy activities. Not only does this blog post provide a list of prevocalic r, vocalic r, and r blends, but it also suggests a variety of strategies for r remediation. SLPs will be able to have a list of words on hand to easily use in the therapy room.

This post contains affiliate links, which means we could receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.

Correct Production of R

There are different ways to make the R sound! These different approaches vary in tongue placement and positioning. The most common approaches are known as the bunched r and the retroflex r. The bunched r literally involves the tongue bunching and lifting up and back towards the throat. The sides of the tongue make contact with the upper posterior molars. The retroflexed tongue position involves a more flattened tongue, with the tip of the tongue pointed up towards the alveolar ridge. Read more about bunched r vs retroflex r here , plus check out some tips to teach either method!

Young children often have difficulty producing the R sound. McLeod and Crowe published this article , which reported that nearly all speech sounds are developed by age 6. A child’s speech intelligibility can be impacted by difficulty with R sound production.

Common R Speech Sound Errors

R is often thought of as one of the most challenging sounds to learn! Here are some common R speech sound errors:

• Oftentimes in younger children, the w sound is substituted for the R sound. An example might be “wabbit” for “rabbit”. This is known as the phonological process of gliding. Minimal pairs might be useful in this situation.
• Occasionally, students might substitute l for r (for example, “light” for “right”).
• R might also be substituted by a “y” sound (an example would be “ram” vs “yam”).
• Other R speech sounds might lose their “R” quality and sound more like a vowel sound. “ER” might be placed by a neutral schwa, for example.

A licensed speech-language pathologist can listen carefully to distinguish which r sound errors a student might be making.

References: Bauman-Waengler, J.A.  Articulatory and Phonological Impairments: A Clinical Focus . Third ed., Pearson Education Limited, 2013. 

How To Teach the R Sound in Speech Therapy

For children who substitute w/r, minimal pairs are often very beneficial. A rounded lip shape may also be contributing to this substitution, so providing cues and reminders to keep the lips retracted while saying R in the initial position of words can be helpful. Try having the student look in a mirror while practicing this sound. Providing accurate feedback is also important.

Older students with articulation disorders often struggle with the production of vocalic r words. School slps may wish to read this article for a deep dive into elicitation techniques for vocalic r. It includes 5 effective tips for teaching the vocalic r sounds. One simple idea is to try using a tongue depressor to gently lift the tongue up and back while smiling and saying “ER”. The teeth should be slightly apart, and the smile should be held during production. This can assist with eliciting vocalic er using a bunched R tongue positioning.

Watch this youtube video to see examples of how to teach R .

R Word Lists for Articulation Therapy

Do you need a list of functional words to work on the R sound in your speech therapy session? R can occur in many different positions of a word, and specific r words may be targeted in speech therapy sessions. The following word lists contain words with r in the beginning of a word (initial R), vocalic R words (initial, medial, and final positions of words), and initial R consonant blends. These R articulation word lists allow the speech therapist to easily work on a target sound and speech goals in speech therapy at the word level. Or, have your student practice at the sentence level or conversation level by using targeted words in sentences. Quickly pull these word lists up during your speech therapy session and pair them with the  game  or activity of your choice. These word lists provide less complex syllable shapes to more complex multisyllabic words.

Initial R Words (Prevocalic R Words) for Speech Therapy

Here is a list of r words in the initial position to use in speech therapy (prevocalic R words):

Vocalic AIR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic air words in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic AR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic ar in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic EAR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic ear in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic IRE Words

Here is a list of vocalic ire in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Initial and Medial

Vocalic OR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic or in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic ER Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic er in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic RL Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic rl in the medial position and final position of words.

Initial R Blend Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of initial r blends for speech therapy.

Initial BR Words

Initial dr words, initial fr words, initial kr words, speech therapy activities for the r sound.

R can be a difficult sound to remediate, so great resources are a MUST in speech therapy! So try using a comprehension program, a fun game, or effective activities and worksheets for your students.

Comprehensive R Program for Vocalic R

If you need a systematic program that’s going to ensure great success for your R students, you’ll want to check out this R program . For students having a difficult time achieving success using a traditional articulation method, it’s beneficial to try a whole new game plan. This program is based on the extensive research of Sandra Holtzman, and is based on her R CEU course , with permission. It incorporates orofacial myology basics, which is often the piece that many failed approaches have been missing.

Jessica G., SLP, reviewed, “I’m so grateful for this resource !!!! Targeting “r” was like my worst nightmare and when students weren’t making progress I felt so discouraged and did not know what else I could do to improve accuracy. Thanks to Karen and this amazing resource, I actually get excited to treat “r” now. The approach used actually works and my students finally seem to understand tongue positioning better (and maybe I do too!). This is definitely worth buying! Thank you!”

Vocalic R Playing Card Game Companion

Do you need to review vocalic r in different word positions? Check out this card game companion , which pairs with a popular color-coded card game. It uses the colors and symbols on the playing card, and matches those with a target vocalic R word. Your player would draw a card, then check his vocalic r sheet to see which target word corresponds with the card he has drawn. Trust me, your elementary students will love this one! It’s fast, easy, and motivating!   Please note: The Pedi Speechie is in no way associated with the well-known card game, which is trademarked.

• Playdough Articulation Manicure Activity

The trick to making articulation drill fun? Try doing a speech manicure ! This articulation activity, which includes r articulation and vocalic r articulation targets, will become an instant hit in your speech therapy room. It’s ideal for younger and older students because picture-supported cards and text-only cards are provided. It’s simple to use. The speech-language pathologist chooses the target sound, and the student chooses the play dough color (in other words, the “nail polish” color). After saying a target word, the student places play dough onto the “nail”, and continues to repeat the process until the manicure is complete!

P.S. Don’t have any play dough on hand? You could also try pairing this activity with a magnetic wand and chips .

Mixed Group R and R Blends Worksheets

Trying to target language AND articulation goals in a mixed group? Let’s face it, sometimes the day can get chaotic! This mixed groups resource is designed to help maintain a school SLP’s sanity during a busy day. How does it work, exactly? Articulation words are sorted by noun or verb. While one student works on articulation, another student can work on language goals- using the same target words.

Use the noun articulation pictures to work on goals such as describing, following directions, spatial concepts, and making inferences. Use the verb articulation pictures to work on goals such as verb tense and creating sentences. These activity sheets are no prep and low ink, so you truly can use these while on-the-go. Just print them out and hand one out to each student.

These mixed group worksheets are also available as a bundle . The bundle includes other articulation targets, including k and g, sh, ch, j, l and l blends, and s and s blends. Lou Ann M., SLP, reviewed, “This resource was easy to use. No prep! Worked well for mixed groups. Able to target multiple goals. Definitely will be using this over and over!”

More Articulation Word Lists for Speech Therapists

Short on time and need a quick summary of this article? Scroll up to see r words speech therapy lists. Then, try out these best-selling articulation worksheets and activities to work on the r sound:

• Comprehensive R Program
• Vocalic R Playing Card Companion
• Mixed Groups Articulation and Language Bundle

Don’t miss these other articulation word lists!

• S Word Lists
• L Word Lists
• F Word Lists
• K Word Lists
• TH Word Lists

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Comprehensive Vocalic R Words List for Speech Therapy

While one of the most common sounds in the English language, the vocalic /r/ can be challenging to pronounce. 

This can be because it’s hard to understand what is happening with the mouth when it’s pronounced, it requires better muscle control and appears alongside vowels, requiring additional articulation skills. 

If your child struggles with this sound, they may substitute the /r/ sound with /w/, saying ‘fair-wee’ instead of ‘fairy’ or ‘here-wo’ instead of ‘hero’. As a result, they can appear younger than their peers and struggle to communicate effectively. 

In this article, we’ll be focusing on the /vocalic /r/ sound and sharing a list of /r/ words, phrases, and sentences that you can use in home speech therapy or as a resource to support your professional speech therapy practice. 

You’ll also learn which fun games and activities can provide extra practice, discover how to pronounce the sound effectively, and how the patented Forbrain headset can help. 

Word list: Vocalic /r/ word list 

Improving your child’s pronunciation of the vocalic /r/ sound at home can feel like a daunting task because of the many variations of this sound. 

However, if you can help them understand where this sound appears in real-life language and give them plenty of varied practice, you will soon see a difference. 

To help you out, we’ve created a comprehensive list of the most common vocalic /r/ sounds used in English. This includes words where this sound appears in the middle (medial vocalic /r/) or end (final vocalic /r/) of the word. 

Use this list as an easy reference or encourage your child to read through them for extra practice. 

What is the vocalic /r/ sound?

Before we introduce the list of words, let’s take a quick look at what this sound is. 

The vocalic /r/ sound is a type of /r/ that happens when the letter appears after one of the vowels; a, e, i, o, and u. 

For example, the /r/ at the beginning of the word ‘ripe’ is pronounced differently from the /r/ that appears at the end of the word ‘pour’. 

There are six of these combinations in English:

• [-ar] as in the word STAR
• [-er] as in the word GIRL
• [-air] as in the word FAIRY
• [-ear] as in the word FEAR 
• [-or] as in the word SWORD
• [-ire] as in the word FIRE 

Further vocalic /r/ sound practice using short phrases and sentences

Your child should now be able to pronounce the vocalic /r/ sound in isolation, even if it does take a certain amount of effort and focus. The key to actually mastering this sound is to provide them with plenty of practice, using the word lists we provided above and then moving on to short phrases and eventually sentences. 

By doing so, their fluency will significantly improve, they’ll grow in confidence and they’ll also learn how to use their new skills to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts. 

Here’s a short home speech therapy program to help you do exactly this, recommended by the team of experts at Forbrain. 

• Check that your child is articulating the vocalic /r/ sound correctly by working through the wordlist we shared earlier. If not, repeat the articulation exercises until they are reasonably comfortable. 
• Next, use carrier phrases to encourage them to use these words in real-life contexts. 
• Practice using short phrases and sentences for the vocalic /r/ sound. 
• Play child-friendly games and activities and read with your child
• Perfect their skills using our easy-to-use, scientifically proven Forbrain headset.

Carrier phrases

If you want to help your child use these vocalic /r/ words in everyday contexts and get plenty of practice, carrier phrases should be your go-to- speech therapy tool. Just choose a phrase, insert a vocalic /r/ word then practice saying it aloud. 

Considering that there are six variations of the vocalic /r/ sound, we recommend that you practice with at least three words from each category in the word list. 

Here are some of our favorite carrier phrases: 

• “I found a…”
• “I want a…”
• “He found a…”
• “She found a…”
• “I have a…”
• “He has a…”
• “She has a…”
• “I like to…”
• “He likes to…”

Put into practice, it looks like this:

• “I want POPCORN”
• “I like VAMPIRES
• “She has a SPIDER”
• “I see a MARBLE”
• “I found a STAR” 
• “He has CEREAL” 

Short phrases for the vocalic /r/ sound

Keep reading to find useful short phrases that include the vocalic /r/ sound in the middle or the end of the word. 

Use these with your child for extra practice and you’ll help them further improve their pronunciation of the /r/ sound. 

Short sentences for the vocalic /r/ sound

Let’s now take it up a level and start practicing those longer sentences that help further boost confidence, and fluency, and help your child use this sound comfortably in real-world contexts. 

As before, these include the vocalic /r/ sound in the middle and the end of the word. 

Games & Activities with Vocalic /r/ Sound Words 

The best way to learn anything is to make it fun! That’s why playing games and activities with your child is an excellent way to master those tricky speech sounds. 

By doing so, they’ll also grow in confidence and be more likely to want to keep practicing the vocalic /r/ sound. 

Below are some excellent vocalic /r/ sound games and activities that are sure to tick all the boxes and are ideal for use with the patented Forbrain headset.

Play the Roar! Game

The easiest way to practice that vocalic /r/ sound is to encourage your child to roar like a lion.  If you can, find a fun picture of a lion and together, produce an exaggerated /r/ sound then repeat as many times as you like. 

Play the Pretty Parrot Game

This game encourages your child to repeat the sound that they hear. Find a picture of a parrot or even a stuffed toy then place it in front of you. Next, print the list of vocalic /r/ words and cut them out so they become flashcards. 

Hold the cards in your hand and ask your child to pull one from the stack. If your child can’t read the word yet, read it for them and then encourage them to repeat it after you. Every time they get the word right, give them a small reward. 

Play the Lucky Dip Game

If you have the resources available, playing the Lucky Dip game can be a fun way to reinforce their learning and encourage accurate pronunciation. 

Find a box or basket and fill it with items that include the vocalic /r/ sound (check the word list above for ideas), or find free images online and print them out. 

Then cover the box or basket and encourage your child to put their hand inside and pull out an item or picture. When they pull an item or image, encourage them to name it, using the carrier phrase, “ I found a [insert word] ”. 

There’s perhaps no better way to improve overall language skills, spark your child’s imagination and strengthen your parent-child bond than reading a good book with your child. 

Find books that include the vocalic /r/ sound and you’ll reinforce the home speech therapy you’ve been doing and have fun at the same time. 

Read the books in our recommended vocalic /r/ sound list and encourage your child to repeat every /r/ word you come across for the best effect. 

• Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
• We’re Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
• Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
• Clark The Shark by Bruce Hale
• Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

How to Pronounce the Vocalic /r/ Sounds

Understanding the difference between the ‘normal’ /r/ sound and the vocalic /r/ sound can be tricky because they often appear to be the same sound. 

However, to teach others how to articulate this sound correctly, we need to start by checking what happens with our mouth, airflow, tongue position, teeth alignment, and vocal cords beforehand. 

The vocalic /r/ sound is a voiced sound made primarily by lifting your tongue back and up allowing it to move towards the roof of your mouth. Then the air should pass from your lungs, and over your tongue while you allow your vocal cords to vibrate. 

Here is more specific guidance. 

Pronouncing the vocalic /r/ sound 

Let’s choose one of the words we shared in the /r/ word list above such as ‘dark’ then practice saying it aloud, repeating it several times. 

As you do so, pay close attention to the shape of your mouth and lips, where your tongue is positioned, how the air flows from your lungs, and whether your vocal cords are vibrating or not.

You’ll see that your vocal cords are indeed vibrating, your tongue is pulled back and towards the roof of your mouth, your lips are slightly rounded and the air passes through your mouth and lightly over your tongue. 

Additionally, you’ll see just why it can be so hard for children to articulate this sound. Not only do they need to have excellent control over their tongue position, lips, and airflow but it’s very difficult to see how the sound is made from the outside. 

Despite this fact, most children can master this sound anywhere between three and nine years of age after they have mastered the ‘normal’ /r/ sound. If problems do occur, it’s usually because it’s difficult to transition from these vowel sounds to the /r/, and with practice, it can soon be fixed. 

Work through the vocalic /r/ sound list, phrases, sentences, games, and activities, read together, and use the patented Forbrain headset and your child will get the practice they need and have fun doing it. 

How to help your child produce the vocalic /r/ sound correctly

Ready to help your child get to grips with the vocalic /r/ sound? Follow these steps:

1) Ask your child to relax their tongue. You can encourage them to stick it out as far as they can and wiggle it around like a snake, ask them to blow a whistle, or try touching their nose with their tongue. 

2) Then ask them to find the back of their tongue and ask them to lift it to the roof of their mouth. You can tell them to imagine they are catching a fairy with their tongue if they need extra encouragement. 

3) Finally, ask them to push air from their lungs and use their vocal cords to say the word ‘fairy’. 

If they still find this difficult, keep practicing until they master how to articulate the sound. You can also watch this excellent video by The Speech Scoop for extra speech therapy help.

Using Forbrain to Upgrade Sound Practice

Enhance your child’s learning and mastery of the tricky vocalic /r/ sound by using our patented Forbrain headset. 

Used for just 10 minutes per day, your child will learn how to distinguish the sound, get instant feedback from the enhanced auditory feedback loop, and get the targeted practice they need to overcome speech challenges and grow in confidence. 

Scientifically proven and widely used by professional speech therapists, it uses cutting-edge technology and an innovative design to optimize learning, stimulate neural pathways, finely tune pronunciation, and sharpen articulation for effective, natural communication. 

Unlock your child’s potential with Forbrain today. 

Final Words

If your child is struggling to pronounce the vocalic /r/ word, don’t worry. Use the list of vocalic /r/ words, phrases, and sentences alongside the patented Forbrain headset and you’ll soon see a huge improvement. 

Reinforce their learning and make it fun by using games, activities, and books to help your child can improve their articulation, grow in confidence, and effortlessly use this tricky sound in everyday spoken language. 

Charlotte Witts

More Activities

Vocalic /R/ Word List for Speech Production Practice

Prevocalic /r/ Word Lists are below.

er medial stressed

Er medial unstressed, ire initial, air initial, ear initial, prevocalic /r/, consonantal /r/ and initial /r/ blends practice word list, prevocalic /r/, initial /r/ blends, prevocalic /r/ word lists levels 1-14.

There are actually 14 unique levels for Prevocalic /r/. Prevocalic /r/ is /r/ produced at the beginning of a word as in race, and read. the degree of difficulty is due to the roundedness of the vowel. The main substitution or misproduction for prevocalic /r/ is w/r substitution as in wed for red. In working with students in the school-based setting, we have determined an actual hierarchy for prevocalic /r/. We do not move onto the next level until the previous level has been mastered.

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• Screening, Training and Practice - All in One Packages
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• Older Students
• Vocalic R Training Videos
• Speech Therapy Chart for Vocalic R
• Natural Tongue position for /r/
• Vocalic /R/ Word List
• Prevocalic /R/ Word Lists

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This advice-column-style blog for SLPs was authored by Pam  Marshalla  from 2006 to 2015, the archives of which can be explored here. Use the extensive keywords list found in the right-hand column (on mobile: at the bottom of the page) to browse specific topics, or use the search feature to locate specific words or phrases throughout the entire blog.

Co-articulation and Vocalic “Er”

By Pam Marshalla

Q: My client can say “Er” in words like “flower” when we split the syllables apart: “Flow—er.” But he cannot say it in words like “Bird” or “Shirt.” What can we do?

You will notice that you have split “flower” in to syllables like this: “Flow—-Er.”

This means that although your client can say “Er,” he cannot sequence from the C to “Er.”  We don’t say, “Flow—er.”  We say, “Flah—wer.” The /r/ occurs in a CVC, and this requires better sequencing and overlapping movement.

Co-articulation

This is the essence of co-articulation (McDonald, 1964). You are teaching him to make what McDonald called “overlapping ballistic movements”–– “Articulation is a process consisting of a series of overlapping, ballistic movements” (McDonald, 1964, p. 87).

Your client can’t say “Bird” or “Shirt” because he cannot overlap the movements of the consonants and “Er.”  His problem is not on “Er.”  His problem is in the overlapping nature of the position required for “Er” and the positions required of the consonants adjacent to it.   Are you following this?  That means that you are no longer working on “Er.”  He has “Er.”  You need to work on the overlapping elements of the phoneme sequences.

The easiest way to work on this is do the following.  Let’s use “fer” and “per” as examples––

Have your client prolong “Errrrrrrr.”

As he prolongs “Errrrrr,” have him insert /f/ or /p/ in-between. He will say: “Errrrr-f-errrrrrr-f-errrrrr-f-errrrrr……” or “Errrrrr-p-errrrrr-p-errrrrr-p.”

Move on to other consonants.

In other words, have him put his tongue in position for “Er” and say “Er.”  While he continues to hold the tongue in position for “Er” (prolong “Er”), he will say /f/. You are teaching him to say /f/ and “er” at the same time.

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100+ TR Words for Speech Therapy (Sound Blends Word Lists!)

Are you a speech-language pathologist or parent looking for TR words for speech therapy to practice with your child or student? Then this blog is just what you need! It has over 100 Initial TR blends that will help strengthen your child or student’s /tr/ sound. 

Initial TR Words Speech Therapy

One area that can often present challenges for both therapists and clients is working with consonant blends, particularly those involving the “R” sound. The “TR” blend, in particular, can be a significant focus in speech therapy sessions because of how common it is.  

Key Takeaways

• Addressing “TR” words in speech therapy is important for clear and effective communication
• Interactive tools and techniques are essential in practicing R sounds and blends
• Both linguistic and physical aspects of speech formation need to be considered in therapy

Speech-language pathologists can begin by assessing the individual’s ability to produce the /tr/ sound. This involves examining the placement of the tongue, lips, and other oral structures. It is important to pay close attention to the manner in which the sounds combine, as it is common for individuals with speech disorders to struggle with blending consonants.

Correct Sound Production

In the English language, the r sound is one of the most difficult sounds as well as one of the last sounds to develop. There are two different ways a Speech Language Pathologist can teach tongue placement for r remediation. 

First, let’s review the two different variations for tongue movements for producing the correct r sound:

• Retroflexed R

The two different tongue positions are very similar and vary in mid-tongue and tongue tip placements:

• Teeth: The /r/ sound is made by having a slight gap between the teeth.
• Lips: Lips should be in a neutral position and not rounded. (A rounded lip shape might lead to a w sound in place of an /r/ sound, such as “wed” for the word “red”.
• Sides of the Tongue: Be sure to place the sides of the tongue and back of the tongue against the upper side of your teeth to allow for the passage of air to go down the center of the tongue.
• Retroflexed Tongue Position: Have the mid-tongue somewhat tense but not bunched up. Then place the tip of the tongue pointing up to the roof of their mouth just past the alveolar ridge.
• Bunched Tongue Position: Have the mid-tongue bunched up near the roof of the mouth. Then place the tip of the tongue pointing down or straight.
• Air: Then blow a skinny stream of air over the center of your tongue (you do not want the air to come out the sides of the tongue).
• Voice: The next step is that the r sound is also a voiced sound so your voice box or vocal cords should vibrate. You can tell that their voice is turned on by touching your voice box on your neck and feeling it vibrate (the upper part of the throat).

Hardest Sounds

Please keep in mind that the r sound is a later developing sound and one of the hardest aspects is teaching the complexity of speech movements. 

Teaching the right way to place the child’s tongue can give you a hard time. 

That’s why it’s important to work closely with a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist to give you professional help to work with your child to find the right position for their tongue to produce a great sounding r sound.

R Speech Sounds

• Prevocalic R – is when the r sound comes before a vowel sound, such as an initial r word “red”. 
• Vocalic R  Sound – is when the r sound comes after a vowel sound, such as: or, ar, er, ear, ire, air.

Consonant Blends

In speech therapy, consonant blends, also known as consonant clusters, play a vital role in helping individuals develop proper speech patterns. 

An initial consonant blend is when two or more consonant sounds come together at the beginning of a word without any vowels between them. 

For instance, bl in “blink,” cr in “crunch,” and st in “sting” are examples of consonant blends. 

An essential part of speech therapy is to practice and perfect initial consonant blends, which occur at the beginning of words. Our goal is to avoid the simplification of consonant blends into single sounds, which is common and also known as a consonant cluster reduction. 

We work together with clients to ensure they can accurately pronounce these blends and increase their overall speech intelligibility. 

Practicing R Sounds and Blends

To practice the R sound, we begin by focusing on the positioning of the tongue. 

The tip of the tongue should be curled up and placed near the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper front teeth). The sides of the tongue should touch the upper molars, while the rest of the tongue remains flat in the mouth. This is called the retroflex R. Encourage clients to maintain this tongue position while sustaining the R sound for a few seconds.

Once clients have learned the correct tongue position, we can introduce different target sounds such as R blends in the TR- and STR- (sounds at the initial position of words). To practice these sounds, use a variety of words containing the target blends, like:

• TR words: truck, train, tray, tree, trust
• STR words: street, strong, stripe, strawberry, structure

We can create fun activities to practice these words, such as memory games, word matching, or flashcards. Including visuals, like images of the objects, can help clients associate the words with their meanings.

Here is a quick compilation of different resource types we have created and compiled for you to use in your speech therapy services! 

• STR Words Speech Therapy

• Prevocalic R Freebie

• 1, 200+ R Words for Speech Therapy

• R Sound Activities for Speech Therapy + I Spy Freebie!

Target Words

Here’s a list of Initial TR articulation sounds for you to use in therapy or at home practice to work on your student or child’s new skill.

• For Example: truck, truth, try, trophy, trunk, trust, triangle

See full list of words, phrases, and sentences below.

Be sure to grab my one page freebie of Initial TR sounds below. Simply scroll to the bottom of this post and grab your free copy!

Initial TR Words Speech Therapy Word List

Some ways to practice include having your child or student say each initial /tr/ word one by one as they go through a list. 

Using a dot marker can also be a fun way to practice having your child put a dot under each Initial TR sound. 

In addition, I’ve compiled an easy-to-download one page overview of Initial TR sounds below. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this post and download your free copy.

• 1 Syllable:  tree, truth, train, truck, true, try, trust, trout, trip, track, treat, trade, trap, Troy, tray, trick, trend, tram, trail, trash, trim, trike, trump, Trey, trace, trunk, trek, trot, trench, trance, troll, trait, tread, trite, treeless, tracks
• 2 Syllable:  treasure, trave, tractor, triple, Tracy, trouble, triumph, Tristan, trio, treatment, trophy, trial, trigger, trying, trailer, training, trumpet, tremble, trident, trickster, trojan, triad, trifle, trainer, trendy, truthful, trolley, trachea, tragic, trousers, trauma, truffle, treason, tribute, traitor, trampling, treaty, transport, traffic, trapeze, trucker, trading, transfer, tribune, tripping, trusting, treasures, triplet
• 3 Syllable:  tropical, trampoline, tragedy, triangle, trinity, tradition, trivia, treasurer, translation, trilogy, transmission, transition, trivial, traveler, trapezoid, transmitter, tricycle
• 4 Syllable:  transformation, transportation, tranquility

Practice in Flash Card Mode Right Here from Your Computer!

SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy

Short sentences or phrases.

When working on Initial TR sound production, it’s important to work on short phrases once your child or student has mastered the sound at the word level at or near 80% or higher accuracy.

Here is a list of Initial TR word phrases to try:

Initial TR Words Speech Therapy in Phrases

Sentence Level: Initial TR Words Speech Therapy

The next step after working at the word and phrase levels is to work on the Initial TR sound at the sentence level.

For example, you could give your child or student a list of sentences to read aloud while they work on their Initial TR sound. 

Another idea would be to give your child or student pictures with their Initial TR sound in them and then have them create a sentence about those pictures.

Below is a list of sentences to use with your child or students.

Initial TRWords Speech Therapy in Sentences

Initial TR Words Speech Therapy Ideas

Boom cards are another fun and engaging way to strengthen your child or student’s articulation skills.

Here are a few favorite boom cards to work on the Initial TR: 

• Free Articulation Boom™ Cards | Spot the Target R Blends Sample TR FR By Speech Your Mind is a fantastic set of teaching tools for young children to practice articulation of TR and FR blends. This set is also good for distance learning!
• Break The Ice – Maze Game for r-blends Freebie by The Speech Banana TpT is an interactive favorite for early intervention practice for students at different levels of R-Blend articulation!

SEE ALSO: Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

Therapy room.

Are you a speech therapist looking for Initial TR words to practice with your clients? 

Here are a couple of fun worksheets and games that you can use in your therapy room to work on the Initial TR sound.

• TR, STR, THR Picture-less Articulation Playing Cards by SLPeepo is a highly rated game for middle school, high school or small groups! This will be a great teaching tool in your therapy room.
• Gumball Articulation for TR words by One SLP in a Pod is a fun game for early readers to practice TR articulation. This is a great resource for different age groups from young children to middle school!
• Articulation Word List- Speech Therapy-R blends-FREE by Georgia Speech LLC is a great resource to practice TR articulation at word level with picture cards. These also make great flash cards and is a comprehensive K-12 resource.

SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials

Do you feel like you don’t have much time to work on your child or student’s initial TR sound? 

Articulation therapy can be as simple as 5 minutes of practice a day.

Here is a list of 5 minute therapy ideas to work on the Initial TR sound.

• R blends (br, cr, dr, fr, gr, tr, pr) CONNECT 4: digital/PPT version by Old Sol New World is a highly rated game on interactive whiteboards. This activity is great for young children to middle school. 
• Dinosaur R Blends Articulation Speech Activity by Fun Early Learning is a great print and go resource for young children or for early intervention when practicing TR articulation. This also would be good in an independent work packet!

Need Other Sounds?

Check out our i nitial s sound , medial s sound , final s sound or s blends or simply check out our complete growing list of the most common sounds in all my articulation word lists !

In Conclusion: TR Words Speech Therapy

The key to success with TR words speech therapy is practice and persistence. By incorporating these techniques into therapy sessions or at-home practice, individuals can make tremendous strides in articulating sounds more clearly and confidently. We hope you have found this article helpful for working on your child or student’s Initial TR sound. 

Be sure to grab your freebie of 20 words to start practicing 5 minutes a day!

Grab Your Free Initial TR Word List with Pictures Here!

Simply enter your name and email to have this free Initial TR Words list with picture cards emailed directly to your inbox! 

Grab our Initial TR Words List!

Frequently asked questions – speech-language pathology, what are some common tr blend words for speech therapy.

We often find that common TR blend words used in speech therapy include: train, tree, truck, treat, trace, and triangle. These words give children a solid foundation for practicing and mastering the TR sound.

What are helpful strategies for teaching TR words to kindergarteners?

We find that a multi-sensory approach is beneficial for teaching TR words to kindergarteners. This may include activities like tracing the TR blend with their finger in the air or on a textured surface, saying the word out loud, and incorporating visual aids such as flashcards or pictures.

Which TR sound words are suitable for first graders?

For first graders, we recommend using TR sound words that are simple and age-appropriate, such as train or truck. As they become more advanced, you can introduce longer and more complex TR blend words.

Are there any useful TR blend worksheets available?

Yes, there are many TR blend worksheets available online for various age groups and skill levels. Worksheets can focus on word identification, matching, or spelling activities. They can be a helpful resource for reinforcing TR sound word recognition and practice.

How can pictures enhance learning of TR blend words?

Pictures facilitate visual learning and can help children better understand and remember TR blend words. Using images alongside the written word helps to create a mental association between the image and the word, making it easier for children to retain and recall the information. Visualization can be a powerful learning tool in speech therapy.

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Targeted Word Lists for Speech Therapy Practice

The speech therapy word lists are perfect for anyone who needs practice with speech and language concepts . For any type of practice...

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Each list of articulation sounds contains words with the target sound in the beginning, middle, and end position, including blends when applicable, as well as words that...

• are common and functional (words we use all day...everyday)
• are mostly 1 syllable (multi-syllabic words are more difficult)
• have a phonemic context that don't interfere with production of the target sound (most words)

If "R" is the problem sound using the word "Rope" makes saying the "R" sound harder because the "O" sound is considered a round vowel.

A round vowel is one where you round your lips to say it. Go ahead...try it by saying "O" as in "boat". You rounded your lips didn't you? I thought you might.

Children who have difficulty with the "R" sound tend to say the "W" sound...they say "Wabbit" instead of "Rabbit".

The "W" sound is considered a rounded sound too. Try saying the "W" sound without rounding your lips...you can't because that is how the sound is made.

So by pairing the "R" sound with the "O" sound like in the word "Rope", this makes the word extra difficult for a child who has a problem saying the "R" sound because the "O" that follows the "R" will naturally make them want to round there lips.

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The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu

An unusual outbreak of the disease has spread to dairy herds in multiple u.s. states..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise, and this is “The Daily.”

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The outbreak of bird flu that is tearing through the nation’s poultry farms is the worst in US history. But scientists say it’s now starting to spread into places and species it’s never been before.

Today, my colleague, Emily Anthes, explains.

It’s Monday, April 22.

Emily, welcome back to the show.

Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.

So, Emily, we’ve been talking here on “The Daily” about prices of things and how they’ve gotten so high, mostly in the context of inflation episodes. And one of the items that keeps coming up is eggs. Egg prices were through the roof last year, and we learned it was related to this. Avian flu has been surging in the United States. You’ve been covering this. Tell us what’s happening.

Yes, so I have been covering this virus for the last few years. And the bird flu is absolutely tearing through poultry flocks, and that is affecting egg prices. That’s a concern for everyone, for me and for my family. But when it comes to scientists, egg prices are pretty low on their list of concerns. Because they see this bird flu virus behaving differently than previous versions have. And they’re getting nervous, in particular, about the fact that this virus is reaching places and species where it’s never been before.

OK, so bird flu, though, isn’t new. I mean I remember hearing about cases in Asia in the ‘90s. Remind us how it began.

Bird flu refers to a bunch of different viruses that are adapted to spread best in birds. Wild water birds, in particular, are known for carrying these viruses. And flu viruses are famous for also being shapeshifters. So they’re constantly swapping genes around and evolving into new strains. And as you mentioned back in the ‘90s, a new version of bird flu, a virus known as H5N1, emerged in Asia. And it has been spreading on and off around the world since then, causing periodic outbreaks.

And how are these outbreaks caused?

So wild birds are the reservoir for the virus, which means they carry it in their bodies with them around the world as they fly and travel and migrate. And most of the time, these wild birds, like ducks and geese, don’t even get very sick from this virus. But they shed it. So as they’re traveling over a poultry farm maybe, if they happen to go to the bathroom in a pond that the chickens on the farm are using or eat some of the feed that chickens on the farm are eating, they can leave the virus behind.

And the virus can get into chickens. In some cases, it causes mild illness. It’s what’s known as low pathogenic avian influenza. But sometimes the virus mutates and evolves, and it can become extremely contagious and extremely fatal in poultry.

OK, so the virus comes through wild birds, but gets into farms like this, as you’re describing. How have farms traditionally handled outbreaks, when they do happen?

Well, because this threat isn’t new, there is a pretty well-established playbook for containing outbreaks. It’s sometimes known as stamping out. And brutally, what it means is killing the birds. So the virus is so deadly in this highly pathogenic form that it’s sort of destined to kill all the birds on a farm anyway once it gets in. So the response has traditionally been to proactively depopulate or cull all the birds, so it doesn’t have a chance to spread.

So that’s pretty costly for farmers.

It is. Although the US has a program where it will reimburse farmers for their losses. And the way these reimbursements work is they will reimburse farmers only for the birds that are proactively culled, and not for those who die naturally from the virus. And the thinking behind that is it’s a way to incentivize farmers to report outbreaks early.

So, OK, lots of chickens are killed in a way to manage these outbreaks. So we know how to deal with them. But what about now? Tell me about this new strain.

So this new version of the virus, it emerged in 2020.

After the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus, authorities have now confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of influenza, a kind of bird flu.

And pretty quickly it became clear that a couple things set it apart.

A bald eagle found dead at Carvins Cove has tested positive for the highly contagious bird flu.

This virus, for whatever reason, seemed very good at infecting all sorts of wild birds that we don’t normally associate with bird flu.

[BIRD CRYING]

He was kind of stepping, and then falling over, and using its wing to right itself.

Things like eagles and condors and pelicans.

We just lost a parliament of owls in Minneapolis.

Yeah, a couple of high profile nests.

And also in the past, wild birds have not traditionally gotten very sick from this virus. And this version of the virus not only spread widely through the wild bird population, but it proved to be devastating.

The washing up along the East Coast of the country from Scotland down to Suffolk.

We were hearing about mass die-offs of seabirds in Europe by the hundreds and the thousands.

And the bodies of the dead dot the island wherever you look.

Wow. OK. So then as we know, this strain, like previous ones, makes its way from wild animals to farmed animals, namely to chickens. But it’s even more deadly.

Absolutely. And in fact, it has already caused the worst bird flu outbreak in US history. So more than 90 million birds in the US have died as a result of this virus.

90 million birds.

Yes, and I should be clear that represents two things. So some of those birds are birds who naturally got infected and died from the virus. But the vast majority of them are birds that were proactively culled. What it adds up to is, is 90 million farmed birds in the US have died since this virus emerged. And it’s not just a chicken problem. Another thing that has been weird about this virus is it has jumped into other kinds of farms. It is the first time we’ve seen a bird flu virus jump into US livestock.

And it’s now been reported on a number of dairy farms across eight US states. And that’s just something that’s totally unprecedented.

So it’s showing up at Dairy farms now. You’re saying that bird flu has now spread to cows. How did that happen?

So we don’t know exactly how cows were first infected, but most scientists’ best guess is that maybe an infected wild bird that was migrating shed the virus into some cattle feed or a pasture or a pond, and cattle picked it up. The good news is they don’t seem to get nearly as sick as chickens do. They are generally making full recoveries on their own in a couple of weeks.

OK, so no mass culling of cows?

No, that doesn’t seem to be necessary at this point. But the bad news is that it’s starting to look like we’re seeing this virus spread from cow to cow. We don’t know exactly how that’s happening yet. But anytime you see cow-to-cow or mammal-to-mammal transmission, that’s a big concern.

And why is that exactly?

Well, there are a bunch of reasons. First, it could allow the outbreak to get much bigger, much faster, which might increase the risk to the food supply. And we might also expect it to increase the risk to farm workers, people who might be in contact with these sick cows.

Right now, the likelihood that a farmer who gets this virus passes it on is pretty low. But any time you see mammal-to-mammal transmission, it increases the chance that the virus will adapt and possibly, maybe one day get good at spreading between humans. To be clear, that’s not something that there’s any evidence happening in cows right now. But the fact that there’s any cow-to-cow transmission happening at all is enough to have scientists a bit concerned.

And then if we think more expansively beyond what’s happening on farms, there’s another big danger lurking out there. And that’s what happens when this virus gets into wild animals, vast populations that we can’t control.

We’ll be right back.

So, Emily, you said that another threat was the threat of flu in wild animal populations. Clearly, of course, it’s already in wild birds. Where else has it gone?

Well, the reason it’s become such a threat is because of how widespread it’s become in wild birds. So they keep reintroducing it to wild animal populations pretty much anywhere they go. So we’ve seen the virus repeatedly pop up in all sorts of animals that you might figure would eat a wild bird, so foxes, bobcats, bears. We actually saw it in a polar bear, raccoons. So a lot of carnivores and scavengers.

The thinking is that these animals might stumble across a sick or dead bird, eat it, and contract the virus that way. But we’re also seeing it show up in some more surprising places, too. We’ve seen the virus in a bottle-nosed dolphin, of all places.

And most devastatingly, we’ve seen enormous outbreaks in other sorts of marine mammals, especially sea lions and seals.

So elephant seals, in particular in South America, were just devastated by this virus last fall. My colleague Apoorva Mandavilli and I were talking to some scientists in South America who described to us what they called a scene from hell, of walking out onto a beach in Argentina that is normally crowded with chaotic, living, breathing, breeding, elephant seals — and the beach just being covered by carcass, after carcass, after carcass.

Mostly carcasses of young newborn pups. The virus seemed to have a mortality rate of 95 percent in these elephant seal pups, and they estimated that it might have killed more than 17,000 of the pups that were born last year. So almost the entire new generation of this colony. These are scientists that have studied these seals for decades. And they said they’ve never seen anything like it before.

And why is it so far reaching, Emily? I mean, what explains these mass die-offs?

There are probably a few explanations. One is just how much virus is out there in the environment being shed by wild birds into water and onto beaches. These are also places that viruses like this haven’t been before. So it’s reaching elephant seals and sea lions in South America that have no prior immunity.

There’s also the fact that these particular species, these sea lions and seals, tend to breed in these huge colonies all crowded together on beaches. And so what that means is if a virus makes its way into the colony, it’s very conducive conditions for it to spread. And scientists think that that’s actually what’s happening now. That it’s not just that all these seals are picking up the virus from individual birds, but that they’re actually passing it to each other.

So basically, this virus is spreading to places it’s never been before, kind of virgin snow territory, where animals just don’t have the immunity against it. And once it gets into a population packed on a beach, say, of elephant seals, it’s just like a knife through butter.

Absolutely. And an even more extreme example of that is what we’re starting to see happen in Antarctica, where there’s never been a bird flu outbreak before until last fall, for the first time, this virus reached the Antarctic mainland. And we are now seeing the virus move through colonies of not only seabirds and seals, but penguin colonies, which have not been exposed to these viruses before.

And it’s too soon to say what the toll will be. But penguins also, of course, are known for breeding in these large colonies.

Probably. don’t have many immune defenses against this virus, and of course, are facing all these other environmental threats. And so there’s a lot of fear that you add on the stress of a bird flu virus, and it could just be a tipping point for penguins.

Emily, at this point, I’m kind of wondering why more people aren’t talking about this. I mean, I didn’t know any of this before having this conversation with you, and it feels pretty worrying.

Well, a lot of experts and scientists are talking about this with rising alarm and in terms that are quite stark. They’re talking about the virus spreading through wild animal populations so quickly and so ferociously that they’re calling it an ecological disaster.

But that’s a disaster that sometimes seems distant from us, both geographically, we’re talking about things that are happening maybe at the tip of Argentina or in Antarctica. And also from our concerns of our everyday lives, what’s happening in Penguins might not seem like it has a lot to do with the price of a carton of eggs at the grocery store. But I think that we should be paying a lot of attention to how this virus is moving through animal populations, how quickly it’s moving through animal populations, and the opportunities that it is giving the virus to evolve into something that poses a much bigger threat to human health.

So the way it’s spreading in wild animals, even in remote places like Antarctica, that’s important to watch, at least in part because there’s a real danger to people here.

So we know that the virus can infect humans, and that generally it’s not very good at spreading between humans. But the concern all along has been that if this virus has more opportunities to spread between mammals, it will get better at spreading between them. And that seems to be what is happening in seals and sea lions. Scientists are already seeing evidence that the virus is adapting as it passes from marine mammal to marine mammal. And that could turn it into a virus that’s also better at spreading between people.

And if somebody walks out onto a beach and touches a dead sea lion, if their dog starts playing with a sea lion carcass, you could imagine that this virus could make its way out of marine mammals and into the human population. And if it’s this mammalian adapted version of the virus that makes its way out, that could be a bigger threat to human health.

So the sheer number of hosts that this disease has, the more opportunity it has to mutate, and the more chance it has to mutate in a way that would actually be dangerous for people.

Yes, and in particular, the more mammalian hosts. So that gives the virus many more opportunities to become a specialist in mammals instead of a specialist in birds, which is what it is right now.

Right. I like that, a specialist in mammals. So what can we do to contain this virus?

Well, scientists are exploring new options. There’s been a lot of discussion about whether we should start vaccinating chickens in the US. The government, USDA labs, have been testing some poultry vaccines. It’s probably scientifically feasible. There are challenges there, both in terms of logistics — just how would you go about vaccinating billions of chickens every year. There are also trade questions. Traditionally, a lot of countries have not been willing to accept poultry products from countries that vaccinate their poultry.

And there’s concern about whether the virus might spread undetected in flocks that are vaccinated. So as we saw with COVID, the vaccine can sometimes stop you from getting sick, but it doesn’t necessarily stop infection. And so countries are worried they might unknowingly import products that are harboring the virus.

And what about among wild animals? I mean, how do you even begin to get your head around that?

Yeah, I mean, thinking about vaccinating wild animals maybe makes vaccinating all the chickens in the US look easy. There has been some discussion of limited vaccination campaigns, but that’s not feasible on a global scale. So unfortunately, the bottom line is there isn’t a good way to stop spread in wild animals. We can try to protect some vulnerable populations, but we’re not going to stop the circulation of this virus.

So, Emily, we started this conversation with a kind of curiosity that “The Daily” had about the price of eggs. And then you explained the bird flu to us. And then somehow we ended up learning about an ecological disaster that’s unfolding all around us, and potentially the source of the next human pandemic. That is pretty scary.

It is scary, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it. And I feel like I should take a step back and say none of this is inevitable. None of this is necessarily happening tomorrow. But this is why scientists are concerned and why they think it’s really important to keep a very close eye on what’s happening both on farms and off farms, as this virus spreads through all sorts of animal populations.

One thing that comes up again and again and again in my interviews with people who have been studying bird flu for decades, is how this virus never stops surprising them. And sometimes those are bad surprises, like these elephant seal die-offs, the incursions into dairy cattle. But there are some encouraging signs that have emerged recently. We’re starting to see some early evidence that some of the bird populations that survived early brushes with this virus might be developing some immunity. So that’s something that maybe could help slow the spread of this virus in animal populations.

We just don’t entirely know how this is going to play out. Flu is a very difficult, wily foe. And so that’s one reason scientists are trying to keep such a close, attentive eye on what’s happening.

Emily, thank you.

Thanks for having me.

Here’s what else you should know today.

On this vote, the yeas are 366 and the nays are 58. The bill is passed.

On Saturday, in four back-to-back votes, the House voted resoundingly to approve a long-stalled package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and other American allies, delivering a major victory to President Biden, who made aid to Ukraine one of his top priorities.

On this vote, the yeas are 385, and the no’s are 34 with one answering present. The bill is passed without objection.

The House passed the component parts of the $95 billion package, which included a bill that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok.

On this vote, the yeas are 311 and the nays are 112. The bill is passed.

Oh, one voting present. I missed it, but thank you.

In a remarkable breach of custom, Democrats stepped in to supply the crucial votes to push the legislation past hard-line Republican opposition and bring it to the floor.

The House will be in order.

The Senate is expected to pass the legislation as early as Tuesday.

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Eric Krupke, and Alex Stern. It was edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens; contains original music by Marion Lozano, Dan Powell, Rowan Niemisto, and Sophia Lanman; and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

• April 24, 2024   •   32:18 Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?
• April 23, 2024   •   30:30 A Salacious Conspiracy or Just 34 Pieces of Paper?
• April 22, 2024   •   24:30 The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu
• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Nina Feldman ,  Eric Krupke and Alex Stern

Edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Dan Powell ,  Rowan Niemisto and Sophia Lanman

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The outbreak of bird flu currently tearing through the nation’s poultry is the worst in U.S. history. Scientists say it is now spreading beyond farms into places and species it has never been before.

Emily Anthes, a science reporter for The Times, explains.

On today’s episode

Emily Anthes , a science reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading

Scientists have faulted the federal response to bird flu outbreaks on dairy farms .

Here’s what to know about the outbreak.

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Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

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