Lessons Unit 2, lesson 15

ɝ + endings

Every ending the ɝ vowel takes, one row at a time. Say the vowel, let the ending close it, and check yourself against the words — all of them real, all verified by the engine.

What do the marks mean?
ˈriːdread Stressed part — say it louder & longer.
to Weak word — say it quickly & softly.
e Silent letter — don’t pronounce it.
θth Underline — these letters spell one sound.
wa·ter Dot · — a syllable break.
goon Linked — blend the words together.
?↗︎↘︎ Arrows — voice rises ↗︎ or falls ↘︎.
ˈsɛvən7 Number — how to say it aloud.
read² ² mark — has a second pronunciation.
guess? ? mark — a best guess; double-check it.

Want the full walkthrough? Read the map explains every mark, with practice.

ɝthe ir in bird

Say a vowel with your tongue already curled for r — one sound, not vowel-then-r: bird, word, turn. It usually carries the word's stress.

ɝ + every ending

One row per combination. Tap any word to hear it — every sheet comes straight from the tool.

ɝ b
ˈk c ɝ ur b b
curb
h ˈɝ er b b
herb
ˈv v ɝ er b b
verb
ɝ d
ˈθ th ɝ ir d d
third
ˈw w ɝ or d d
word
ˈb b ɝ ir d d
bird
ɝ f
ˈs s ɝ ur f f
surf
ˈt t ɝ ur f f
turf
ɝ k / ck
ˈw w ɝ or k k
work
ˈdʒ j ɝ er k k
jerk
ˈk c l l ɝ er k k
clerk
ɝ l
ˈɡ g ɝ ir l l
girl
ˈɝ ear l l
earl
ˈp p ɝ ear l l
pearl
ɝ m
ˈt t ɝ er m m
term
ˈf f ɝ ir m m
firm
ˈs s p p ɝ er m m
sperm
ɝ n
ˈt t ɝ ur n n
turn
ˈl l ɝ ear n n
learn
ˈb b ɝ ur n n
burn
ɝ s
ˈw w ɝ or s s e
worse
ˈn n ɝ ur s s e
nurse
ˈv v ɝ er s s e
verse
ɝ t
ˈh h ɝ ur t t
hurt
ˈʃ sh ɝ ir t t
shirt
ə a ˈl l ɝ er t t
alert
ɝ v
ˈs s ɝ er v v e
serve
ˈn n ɝ er v v e
nerve
ˈk c ɝ ur v v e
curve
ɝ ch
ˈb b ɝ ir ch
birch
ˈp p ɝ er ch
perch
ɝ th
ˈw w ɝ or θ th
worth
ˈɝ ear θ th
earth
ˈb b ɝ ir θ th
birth
ɝ dge / ge
ˈɝ ur g e
urge
ˈs s ɝ ur g e
surge
ˈm m ɝ er g e
merge

One sound, not two

ɝ is a single vowel with your tongue already curled for r — say bird, word, and turn as one continuous sound, never as a vowel followed by a separate r. This table runs that curled vowel through endings from curb to urge, and in almost every word here it's the syllable carrying the stress. Try the m row against the n row — term, firm, sperm versus turn, learn, burn — and confirm the curled vowel sound stays centered no matter which consonant follows.

Endings across a stressed vowel

Because ɝ usually takes the stress, don't let any ending pull focus away from it — work and worth should feel just as centered as girl and term. Voiced endings like the v in serve or the ending in urge stretch the vowel slightly longer than voiceless ones like the t in hurt or the ch in birch. Read a row slowly enough to feel your tongue curl before the final consonant even starts.

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