![]() ![]() Both vowels have similar jaw opening and tongue placement, but notice the difference in the lip position. 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. Let’s take a closer look at the ER vowel in a stressed word, like bird, and an unstressed word, like mother. But when ER is in an unstressed syllable, the vowel is said faster and at a lower pitch and volume. 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. Then the tongue pulls back into the mouth for the R sound. ![]() Notice at the beginning of the vowel, the lips push away from the teeth. Now you’ll see the ER vowel in the word bird. The tongue tip is neutral - it doesn’t touch anything else inside 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. 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. ![]() To make the ER sound, the corners of the lips come in and push away from the teeth. Let’s take a closer look at the ER sound by itself and in the word bird. But there isn’t any movement in your articulators as you say the ER sound - it’s just ER. The ER vowel is made up of two sounds: the UH /ə/ sound and the R sound /ɹ/. I use this symbol in my IPA transcription /ɚ/. They all represent the same unstressed ER sound. But you might also see these symbols /ər/ or these symbols /əɹ/. When the ER vowel is unstressed, like in the word mother, you’ll see this IPA symbol /ɚ/. I use this symbol in my IPA transcription /ɝ/. They all represent the same stressed ER sound. You might also see these symbols /ɜr/ or these symbols /ɜɹ/. When the ER vowel is stressed, like in the word bird, you’ll see this symbol /ɝ/. The ER vowel can be stressed or unstressed, and the IPA has separate symbols for the stressed ER and the unstressed ER. 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. 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 just described the ER sound as a vowel. The ER vowel is in the words bird, world, and mother. ![]()
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