Sounds · R and L
Vowel and R become “er”
Work, bird and turn all have “er”, and so does a quick part: doctor, sugar.
ER · IR · UR + no vowel → erW + OR → erER · OR · AR in a quick part → er
work werk
Hear it in words
How each word is written, and how Americans say it.
- wordwerd
- worldwerld
- birdberd
- girlgerl
- turntern
- earlyerly
- learnlern
- doctordocter
- sugarshuger
- squirrelsquer-uhl
- eartherth
- colorcoler
In a sentence
- I'll work on it. I'll werk on it.
- A small coffee with sugar. A small coffee with shuger.
- The doctor will see you. The docter will see you.
Careful with these
- The vowel keeps its own sound, then the R: car, more, here, care
- Before another vowel, the vowel keeps its own sound: very, zero, America
How to say it
- Start right on the R: work has no “o” before it.
- Keep your mouth almost closed: work, not walk.
Listen for: One sound, “er”, with no other vowel before the R.
Where to look for it
ER, IR and UR before a consonant or at the end (person, bird, her), OR after W (work), and a quick -er, -or or -ar (never, doctor, sugar). Not when the vowel keeps its own sound, as in car, more and here: see Every R is said.
More about it
In some words, EAR does it too: learn, early, heard. In surprise, the first R disappears for some Americans; both ways are fine. In most British accents, her and doctor have no R; in the US, it is always there.
Teachers call this: R-colored vowels: the strong one in her, the quick one in doctor.
Listen for it today. When a coworker says “Good work!”, listen for the “er” in work.