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When learning English pronunciation, one area that often causes confusion is distinguishing similar-sounding vowels. A particularly important pair is /ɜː/ and /oʊ/. Let’s see how to tell them apart, and practice with examples!
How to Distinguish the /ɜː/ vs. /oʊ/ Sounds?
What Are /ɜː/ and /oʊ/?
A minimal pair is a pair of words that differ by only one sound (phoneme) and have different meanings.
| Sound | Description |
|---|---|
| /ɜː/ | A long mid-central vowel, with the tongue relaxed and central, lips neutral. Common in words like bird, word, her. (In American English, this sound is usually r-colored /ɝː/.) |
| /oʊ/ | A diphthong vowel. It starts mid-back and moves towards a high-back position. The lips round more as the sound glides. Found in go, home, no. |
How to Pronounce /ɜː/ and /oʊ/?
/ɜː/
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Tongue: Mid-central
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Lips: Neutral or slightly spread
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Length: Long and steady
-
Often “r-colored” in American English (/ɝː/)
Look at this diagram to see how to shape your mouth when saying /ɜː/.
Play the audio to practice the /ɜː/ sound in “her.”
/oʊ/
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Tongue: Starts mid-back, glides up and back
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Lips: Round more strongly as you finish the sound
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Length: Diphthong (moves from one position to another)
Look at this diagram to see how to shape your mouth when saying /oʊ/
Press play to catch the /oʊ/ sound in “note.”
Tip: Think of /ɜː/ as a steady, central sound, while /oʊ/ slides back and up.
Minimal Pairs /ɜː/ vs. /oʊ/ with Example Sentences
burn / bone:
- The burn left a mark.
- The bone left a mark.
turn / tone:
- She changed the turn of the wheel.
- She changed the tone of the wheel.
earn / own:
- I will earn a prize.
- I will own a prize.
Minimal Pair /ɜː/ and /oʊ/ List
| /ɜː/ Word | /oʊ/ Word |
|---|---|
| burn /bɜːn/ | bone /boʊn/ |
| fern /fɜːn/ | phone /foʊn/ |
| Bert /bɜːt/ | boat /boʊt/ |
| work /wɜːk/ | woke /woʊk/ |
| flirt /flɜːt/ | float /floʊt/ |
| turn /tɜːn/ | tone /toʊn/ |
| learn /lɜːn/ | loan /loʊn/ |
| her /hɜː/ | hoe /hoʊ/ |
| heard /hɜːd/ | hoed /hoʊd/ |
| burst /bɜːst/ | boast /boʊst/ |
| perk /pɜːk/ | poke /poʊk/ |
| curl /kɜːl/ | coal /koʊl/ |
| blurt /blɜːt/ | bloat /bloʊt/ |
| curve /kɜːv/ | cove /koʊv/ |