Lips
Mouth mid-open and neutral for "eh"; hold roughly the same shape as the r takes over. The diagram shows the mid-open start.
R-coloured vowels · American English
/ɛr/as in square
The American "square" vowel: a short "eh" gliding into the r colour. It ends on a real r, unlike the British version that fades to "uh".
Example words: square, hair, there, care, wear
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /ɛr/ sound?
Tongue
Start mid-front, as for "eh". Then curl the tip up and back, or bunch the mid-tongue, into the r. The tip never touches the roof of the mouth.
Length
Medium. A quick, clear "eh", then let the r colour carry the rest of the sound.
Video lesson
Try it
- Open to mid position and start a clear "eh".
- While the sound continues, curl or bunch the tongue into the r.
- Keep the tip floating: no taps, no contact.
- Try it in words: square, hair, there.
Check
Say "there" and stretch the ending. You should hear "eh" flowing into a steady r you can hold for a second or two. If it dies into "uh", or you feel a tap, adjust and repeat.
Common trap
Dropping the r so "hair" ends on a weak "uh" (that is the British version), or tapping and trilling the tongue against the roof.
Practice: /ɛr/
Words
squareskwˈɛɹ
hairhˈɛɹ
thereðɛɹ
carekˈɛɹ
wearwˈɛɹ
Sentences
Where did you buy that chair?wˌɛɹ dˈɪd ju bˈaɪ ðæt tʃˈɛɹ?
She wears her hair very long.ʃˌi wˈɛɹz hɜɹ hˈɛɹ vˈɛɹi lˈɔŋ.
There are pears on the table over there.ðˌɛɹ ɑɹ pˈɛɹz ˌɔn ðə tˈeɪbəl ˈoʊvəɹ ðɛɹ.
Take care of your parents when they're old.tˈeɪk kˈɛɹ ʌv jʊɹ pˈɛɹənts wˌɛn ðɛɹ ˈoʊld.
The air feels fresh in the square.ði ˈɛɹ fˈilz fɹˈɛʃ ɪn ðə skwˈɛɹ.
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Sounds in the same group
Is /ɛr/ one of yours?
Accenty listens to you speak and shows the sounds you miss, in American English.
