Hi everyone! In this video, you'll learn how to pronounce the ER as in bird vowel.
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 a vowel depending on where it occurs in
the word. I discussed this concept in a previous video called the 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. 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. You might also see these symbols or these symbols. They all
represent the same stressed ER sound. I use this symbol in my IPA transcription.
When the ER vowel is unstressed like in the word mother, you'll see this IPA
symbol, but you might also see these symbols or these symbols. They all
represent the same unstressed ER sound. I use this symbol in my IPA
transcription. The ER vowel is made up of two sounds: the UH sound and the R sound.
But there isn't any movement in your articulators as you say the ER
sound - it's just ER, one mouth position. ER. 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. 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.Tthe lips
flare out more in the stressed 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. Here are some practice words
and sentences. Thirty. ER. Thirty. I'll be there in 30 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 thanks so much for watching, and let me
know how I can help you with the ER vowel.