By Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, licensed speech-language pathologist
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What is the ER sound?
Short answer: ER is the vowel in bird, world and mother. It is one sound made with one mouth position: the tongue pulls up and back, and the corners of the lips come in and push away from the teeth. In the IPA, it is written /ɝ/ when the syllable is stressed and /ɚ/ when it is unstressed.
| Stressed ER /ɝ/ | Unstressed ER /ɚ/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Example words | bird, her, work, turn, learn | mother, never, sister, doctor |
| How it sounds | Louder and longer, with a rise and fall in pitch | Faster, lower and quieter |
| Also written | /ɜr/, /ɜɹ/, /ɜːr/ | /ər/, /əɹ/ |
My full video lesson and its transcript are below.
(Video Transcript)
In the IPA, the ER vowel is written /ɝ/ when it is stressed and /ɚ/ when it is unstressed.
To find out which sounds to work on, test your ear with the free 2-minute American English listening quiz.
The ER vowel is in the words bird, world, and mother. ER. I just described the ER sound as a vowel. You may be thinking - isn’t the R sound a consonant? Well...the R sound is both a consonant and vowel, depending on where it occurs in the word. I discussed this concept in a previous video called An Introduction to R-colored Vowels, and if you want more background information about the R-colored vowels, I recommend that you watch that video first. See also: Vowel Length in American English.
The IPA symbols for the ER vowels
The ER vowel can be stressed or unstressed, and the IPA has separate symbols for the stressed ER and the unstressed ER. When the ER vowel is stressed, like in the word bird, you’ll see this symbol /ɝ/. You might also see these symbols /ɜr/ or these symbols /ɜɹ/. They all represent the same stressed ER sound. I use this symbol in my IPA transcription /ɝ/.
When the ER vowel is unstressed, like in the word mother, you’ll see this IPA symbol /ɚ/. But you might also see these symbols /ər/ or these symbols /əɹ/. They all represent the same unstressed ER sound. I use this symbol in my IPA transcription /ɚ/.
The ER vowel is made up of two sounds: the UH /ə/ sound and the R sound /ɹ/. But there isn’t any movement in your articulators as you say the ER sound - it’s just ER. One mouth position. ER.
How to make the ER vowel
Let’s take a closer look at the ER sound by itself and in the word bird.
To make the ER sound, the corners of the lips come in and push away from the teeth. It’s difficult to see the tongue as it pulls back into the mouth because of the lip position, but watch as the tongue pulls up and back into the mouth. The tongue is in a wide shape because you want the tongue to push against the inside of the upper back teeth or along the upper gum line, so the tongue must be flat and wide. The tongue tip is neutral - it doesn’t touch anything else inside the mouth.
Now you’ll see the ER vowel in the word bird. Notice at the beginning of the vowel, the lips push away from the teeth. Then the tongue pulls back into the mouth for the R sound.
When ER is in a stressed syllable, it is said louder and for a longer duration, and the pitch of the voice glides up and then down. ER. Bird. But when ER is in an unstressed syllable, the vowel is said faster and at a lower pitch and volume. ER. Mother.
The ER is the vowel my students ask about most. If you want guided practice with it, plus feedback on your own recordings, that's inside the American English Vowels course in English Pro.
Stressed ER vs. Unstressed ER
Let’s take a closer look at the ER vowel in a stressed word, like bird, and an unstressed word, like mother.
On the left is the stressed ER vowel in the word bird, and on the right is the unstressed ER vowel in the word mother. Both vowels have similar jaw opening and tongue placement, but notice the difference in the lip position. The lips flare out more in the stressed ER vowel, meaning they push away from the teeth more - than they do in the unstressed ER vowel.
Stressed ER. Bird. ER.
Unstressed ER. Mother. ER.
Practice ER words and sentences
Here are some practice words and sentences.
Thirty. ER. Thirty.
I’ll be there in thirty minutes.
Turn. ER. Turn.
I love this song - turn it up!
Sister. ER. Sister.
I have five sisters.
Survey. ER. Survey.
The survey said everyone agreed.
Work. ER. Work.
I have a lot of work to do.
Never. ER. Never.
I’ll never do that again!
ER words by spelling
English spells the ER sound many ways. All of these words use the same vowel.
| Spelling | ER words |
|---|---|
| er | her, term, person, nervous |
| ir | bird, first, girl, third |
| ur | turn, nurse, church, Thursday |
| or after W | work, word, world, worse |
| ear | learn, early, earth, search |
| Unstressed endings (/ɚ/) | mother, doctor, sugar, picture |
Common ER mistakes
- Two sounds instead of one: ER is not UH followed by an R. Your mouth stays in one position for the whole sound.
- Dropping the R: without the R, bird sounds like bud, and her sounds like huh. Keep your tongue pulled up and back to the end of the vowel.
- A full vowel in unstressed syllables: in mother and doctor, the ending is a short, quiet /ɚ/, not a strong "er" or "or."
ER is one of 6 R-colored vowels in American English. See all six in my introduction to R-colored vowels.
ER sound: common questions
What is the ER sound?
ER is the vowel in bird, world and mother. It is one sound, made with the tongue pulled up and back and the corners of the lips pushed away from the teeth.
What is the difference between /ɝ/ and /ɚ/?
Both are the ER sound. /ɝ/ is the stressed ER in words like bird and her, said louder and longer. /ɚ/ is the unstressed ER in words like mother and doctor, said faster, lower and quieter.
Is ER a vowel or a consonant?
In American English, the R sound can be both. At the start of a word or syllable, as in right, it is a consonant. After a vowel in the same syllable, as in bird, the vowel and the R combine into one sound, the ER vowel.
How do you spell the ER sound?
Many ways: er (her), ir (bird), ur (turn), or after W (work), ear (learn), and unstressed endings like -er, -or, -ar and -ure (mother, doctor, sugar, picture).
Why does my ER sound like UH?
The R is missing. Pull your tongue up and back and keep it there until the end of the vowel, so bird doesn't sound like bud.
Do British speakers say the R in ER?
Most British accents don't. In bird and her, they say a long vowel with no R. In American English, the R is always there.
Thanks so much for watching!
For one-to-one help with the ER vowel, see my private accent reduction coaching.
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