/ɜː/

long vowel

The Er (bird) Sound

as in bird

How to make the /ɜː/ sound

Voiced — vocal cords vibrate
voiced voiceless
  1. 1Keep your lips relaxed and slightly open.
  2. 2Bunch the tongue in the middle of the mouth — it touches nothing.
  3. 3In American English, curl the tongue tip slightly for the R color.

⚠ The most common mistake

Splitting it into two sounds or dropping the R color in American English.

Especially tricky for speakers of: Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese.

Train your ear: /ɜː/ vs /ɑː/

These two words differ by exactly one sound. Tap both — can you hear it?

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying bird, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Practice words with /ɜː/

Tap the speaker to hear each word; tap the word for its full pronunciation page.

More long vowels

See all 44 sounds of English →