Rolled vs Rode -- is the "l" in "rolled" noticeable for you?

In my English (western US), the two have different vowel qualities. /ɹold/ vs. /roʊd/ \[ɹʷoɫd\] vs. \[ɹʷɵʊd\] edit: it might be helpful to note that the 'dark L' \[ɫ\] can sound like a vowel sometimes, which could be the source of your confusion. (sometimes, it *is* realized as a vowel)

Mold vs mode Bold vs bode Cold vs code Etc etc, almost never get any of these confused.

in America L is velarized to [ɫ] which is often very different sounding to L in many other languages. it's common that in languages with a velarized L, it can evolve into a /w/ sound. This has happened in some Portuguese and English dialects. but generally In English we can hear the difference between rolled and rode

At least in my English (northeast USA), the two sound different enough that I don't think I've ever confused them, though I can certainly see how an English learner would have trouble. Even if the *l* doesn't come through distinctly, it colors the preceding vowel. Speaking quickly (or even not that quickly), 'rolled' turns into something like /rld/ for me.

The "L"s are present in my accent (US Midwest). There are cases where it might not be very strong, but "rolled" is always distinct from "rode."

they sound completely different. the L sound in "rolled" is very apparent.

If people talk fast, someone can mistake the two. If people talk at a 'normal' pace, they are distinguishable. I'm not surprised that a non native speaker would get them confused occasionally.

Someone with a very thick southern accent may say something similar sounding to "rode" but generally the two words are very distinct.

The shouldn't sound alike and they have a different mouth shape.

Someone with a southern accent might soften or omit the l. I would say "he rolled down the hill" A southerner might say "weh ah be damd he dun rode dahn that there hihll"

Extremely noticeable unless the person is slurring or perhaps has an extremely heavy regional accent.

Personally, I can't hear it with some of the more regional/strong accents in the UK, but always with an American accent.

They should sound distinct normally in order to understand English fluently.

I would usually notice, unless the speaker were a native Korean speaker or some other language that does not have L phonemes.

"I rode a joint" v "We rolled horses on the hiking trail". Context is everything. No, actually, they do sound different.

Maybe you should repeat/alternate the two, paying attention to the position of your tongue.

"Rolled" rhymes with "cold" and "bold". "Rode" rhymes with "load" and "owed". The pronunciation of "rolled" and "rode" do not sound alike. The sound signified by the letter L is distinctly heard when "rolled" is pronounced, and is absent from the sound of "rode." Example: Is your brother's scooter still in the yard? No, he rolled it over to the path and then rode on it down the hill to the park.

I'm Australian and I say the "L" in rolled. Some Australian accents will and some won't. Same with British accents, and to my ear there's variety in American accents too. I think it depends on the speaker.

To an English-speaking ear, the difference is very noticeable. As an English-speaker learning French, I totally relate.

Rolled rhymes with told and fold. It sounds like you are having trouble saying L? The tongue should touch the alveolar ridge just behind your top teeth. Can you say “salt” or “salty”? If a person is having trouble distinguishing R/L, which is commonly problematic for speakers of certain languages, don’t start practicing with words that have both sounds in them (like rolled). What words have an L that you can say well? Can you feel the tip of your tongue touching behind your top teeth? For example when you say “black?”

These do not sound the same to me

Very noticeable. If I didn’t hear it, I’d assume the other person said it funny