R and L are what are known as liquid consonants.
They can be difficult to distinguish to the untrained ear (i.e., non-native speakers).
In most native English accents, R is pronounced by curling the tongue very significantly (more than most languages that I’m familiar with). People who aren’t used to this (often people who speak English as a second language) won’t curl their tongues enough, and the partially curled tongue will end up touching the roof of their mouths. This happens to be how you pronounce L, so in these accents, R and L will end up sounding the same.
Try getting into the habit of curling your tongue more when you pronounce R, and you’ll end up hearing a difference
R: curl the sides of the tongue up to your upper molars
L: curl the front of your tongue up to the roof of your mouth
Interesting, my approximation to an English r is more like a muted w than anything involving curling the tongue and still there’s a major difference between r and l sounds. (The r in my native language is also fairly unique, possibly regional.)
Edit: Just checked with a mirror and nope: raised tongue with the sides of the tongue pressing against the upper molars and a curled tip.
What OP is neglecting to mention is they pronounce both of them “bwush :3”
Does your native language happen to be Japanese?
(Because the “L” and “R” sounds are not distinguished in Japanese)
Its b-rush and b-le-ush
Reading differences in pronunciation can be difficult, but in regard to tongue placement when saying these words, when saying “blush”, the tip of the tongue should press against the inside of the top-front teeth. When saying “brush”, the tongue should curl back and lightly press on the inside right and left side of the back teeth.
Oh. Kinda sounds like you’re pronouncing one of these words wrong.
Or maybe both.
Do the words “ruse” and “lose” also sound the same in your accent?
no, it’s just how i say them 💔 probably bc i usually do it after or before a word with that sound
ex: “rihanna rost” instead of lost
They’re different - when I say “brush” my tongue stays in the middle of my mouth against the bottom and the back spreads slightly on the r, when I say “blush” it touches the top of my teeth before flicking down on the u
They’re slightly different phonemes, if you don’t hear it naturally it’s difficult. But if you focus hard enough on the details you can eventually learn to hear it - you have to listen intently to the comparison over and over until you can hear the difference. From there, you can practice to make the sound yourself
