"Are", "R", and "Arr", Oh My!

[Haridas]

How is one to pronounce this letter:

र

This letter is stopping me from reciting any mantras and is stressing me out.

Do you roll it (as you do in Spanish and Arabic) or do you pronounce it like regular (as you would in English)?

Also, how do you pronounce "Sri"? This word is especially difficult and is impossible (not even an exaggeration) for any non-Indian to pronounce if it is true that you need to roll the "र"

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Haridas,

First, lose the American drawl ~ there is no A at the beginning of ra, the vowel sound comes afterwards! And ra is a cerebral or retroflex semi-vowel, so just brush the tip of your tongue against the front of your palate as you pronounce it (which is what creates the slight trill if you hold your tongue there for longer than necessary ~ a single initial beat of that potential trill is all that is required).