R-controlled Vowels > How to pronounce ‘schwa+r’ /ɚ/ > Common ‘schwa+r’ /ɚ/ spellings > Practice pronouncing ‘schwa+r’ /ɚ/
Common 'schwa+r' /ɚ/ spellings
1. er
a. her /hɚ/
b. verb /vɚb/
c. after /'æft ɚ/
2. ir
a. girl /gɚl/
b. birth /bɚθ/
c. stir /stɚ/
3. ur
a. burn /bɚn/
b. purple /'pɚp l/
c. occur /ə 'kɚ/
4. ear
a. learn /lɚn/
b. pearl /pɚl/
c. heard /hɚd/
5. (w+)or
a. word /wɚd/
b. work /wɚk/
c. world /wɚld/
6. vowel+r (unstressed syllable)
a. doctor /'dɑkt ɚ/
b. forget /fɚ 'gɛt/
c. dollar /'dɑl ɚ/
'schwa+r sound' non-phonetic words
1. were