How does the uvular r vibration "feel"?

[DariusLee3]

I have been practising the uvular r vibration, but I am not sure if I am doing it right. Should I actually "feel" my tongue vibrating while I am producing the German uvular r (like how I can sense the r when I am doing a Spanish r)? Or is it just an r sound that you don't feel, like the English r (where you only feel it in the throat, not the mouth).

P.S. I have not been able to gargle water before, so I do not know what gargling water feels like. Please don't advise me to gargle water.

[mizinamo]

I think the most common German R is a voiced uvular fricative -- not a trill.

Basically, a voiced version of the German "ch" as in "ach".

[bduderstadt]

The uvula is in the back of your mouth. It vibrates during the uvular trill. You might feel the back of your tongue vibrating, but that’s rather passively. The tip of your tongue is not involved.

Since you don’t seem to be able to gargle water, you might also have difficulties producing an uvular trill. Perhaps you want to try a more viscous liquid for example a spoonful of warm honey mixed with a small amount of milk for gargling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvular_trill

Video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NOOo5am0lGE

[DariusLee3]

That is a very useful video! I may try gargling honey later perhaps and tell you how it goes! Thanks

[SebastianKwasny]

Some dialects in German use the alveolar trill (Spanish r), and from what I've heard, you'd be perfectly understood if you use it.

If you really want to know how it feels though, it has a similar feeling to the velar fricative ("ch" as in "Buch"). It kind of feels as if your throat is being repeatedly, but softly jabbed. I know this sounds weird, but that's the only way I could describe it.

Hope this helps. :)