Lips
Start open and neutral for "ah". As you move into the r, they round slightly. The diagram shows the open start.
R-coloured vowels · American English
/ɑr/as in car
The American "ar": start on a big open "ah", then glide into the r colour. Two positions, one smooth sound.
Example words: car, start, hard, park, far
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /ɑr/ sound?
Tongue
Start low and back, as for "ah". 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
Long. Give the open "ah" its full length before the r colour takes over.
Video lesson
Try it
- Drop your jaw and start a full, open "ah".
- While the voice continues, curl or bunch the tongue into the r.
- Keep the tip floating: no contact with the roof.
- Try it in words: car, start, hard.
Check
Say "car" slowly. You should hear a clear "ah" that smoothly grows an r colour at the end, with no tap and no gap. If the word ends on plain "ah", the r got dropped.
Common trap
Dropping the r so "car" becomes "cah", or tapping and trilling the tongue instead of holding the curled shape.
Practice: /ɑr/
Words
carkˈɑɹ
startstˈɑɹt
hardhˈɑɹd
parkpˈɑɹk
farfˈɑɹ
Sentences
We parked the car near the park.wˌi pˈɑɹkt ðə kˈɑɹ nˌɪɹ ðə pˈɑɹk.
It's hard to start a new job.ˌɪts hˈɑɹd tə stˈɑɹt ɐ nˈu dʒˈɑb.
The market isn't far from my apartment.ðə mˈɑɹkət ˈɪzənt fˈɑɹ fɹʌm maɪ əpˈɑɹtmənt.
My heart beat fast in the dark.mˌaɪ hˈɑɹt bˈit fˈæst ɪn ðə dˈɑɹk.
The garden is large but not far.ðə ɡˈɑɹdən ɪz lˈɑɹdʒ bˌʌt nˌɑt fˈɑɹ.
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Sounds in the same group
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