The er sound in English: /ɜːr/ /ər/
IPA: /ɜːr/ /ər/ · Closest Arabic sound: كسرة خفيفة + راء (إر خفيفة)
The er sound explained
er, ir and ur are three spellings of roughly one sound 'er': her, bird, nurse. er often ends words: teacher, sister.
R-controlled vowels: The letter r changes the vowel before it: ar, or and er.
Words with er
Tap a word to hear it and repeat it with your child
Tip for parents and teachers
Words ending in er are everywhere: collect 10 from your child's room.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pronounce er in English?
er, ir and ur are three spellings of roughly one sound 'er': her, bird, nurse. er often ends words: teacher, sister. The sound is /ɜːr/ /ər/, closest to the Arabic كسرة خفيفة + راء.
Which words have er?
Her (لها), Teacher (معلم), Sister (أخت), Water (ماء), Flower (زهرة), Butter (زبدة).
What is the difference between a digraph and a blend?
In a digraph (like sh and ch) the two letters make one new sound; in a blend (like st and bl) each letter keeps its own sound and they are said quickly one after the other.