ER (Bird, Nurse)

The R-controlled vowel sound heard in words like "bird", "nurse", "learn", and "turn". This is a mid-central vowel followed by an R sound. In American English, this sound is typically rhotic (the R is pronounced).

Voicing

Voiced

Place of Articulation

Mid-central (with r-coloring)

Manner of Articulation

R-colored Vowel (Rhotic Vowel)

Mouth Position

The lips are relaxed and slightly rounded. The tongue is in the middle of the mouth, neither high nor low, front nor back, with the tip slightly curled back. The jaw is in a neutral position, slightly open.

How to Make This Sound

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Example Words

birdMain Example

bərd

nurse

nərs

learn

lərn

turn

tərn

first

fərst

work

wərk

girl

gərl

earth

ərth

heard

hərd

word

wərd

Pronunciation Practice

11 words

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Quick Practice

3-5 essential words

Full Practice

All 11 words

Tongue Twister

Practice: Vowel

“Thirty dirty purple birds chirp and whistle. | Bert's nurse works where herbs serve birds. | The early bird serves words to worms on perfect perches. | Earnest workers search for purple shirts in dirty laundry. | Thirteen thirsty turtles hurdle over perfect ferns.”

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