R-controlled vowels: ar, or and er, ir, ur
Short answer: When a vowel is followed by r, the r changes the vowel. The letters ar say /ɑr/ (car, star), or says /ɔr/ (horse, for), and er, ir and ur all say /ɝ/ (her, bird, nurse). In General American the r is pronounced, and the tongue curls back for it.
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At a glance
| Letters | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ar | /ɑr/ | car, star, farm |
| or | /ɔr/ | horse, for, corn |
| er | /ɝ/ | her, teacher, water |
| ir | /ɝ/ | bird, girl, shirt |
| ur | /ɝ/ | nurse, turn, burn |
How to make the sound
- Say the vowel, then pull the tongue back for /r/.
- Keep the lips slightly round for /ɔr/.
- For er, ir and ur, use the same sound: /ɝ/.
- Do not drop the r: car is /kɑr/, not /kɑ/.
Examples in sentences
- car
ar = /ɑr/: /kɑr/. - star
ar = /ɑr/: /stɑr/. - horse
or = /ɔr/: /hɔrs/. - bird
ir = /ɝ/: /bɝd/. - nurse
ur = /ɝ/: /nɝs/. - girl
ir = /ɝ/: /gɝl/.
Common problems
- Dropping the r: Many learners say “ca” for car. Keep the r in General American.
- Different sounds for er, ir, ur: These three spellings share the same sound, /ɝ/.
- Making ar short: ar is a longer sound than a in cat.
For Vietnamese speakers
- Vietnamese has no final /r/ like this one. Curl the tongue back and do not touch the roof of your mouth.
- Practice er, ir and ur together: her, bird, nurse.
Check yourself
- How do you say “ir” in “bird”?
Show the answer
/ɝ/ Same as er and ur.
- How do you say “or” in “horse”?
Show the answer
/ɔr/ Lips slightly round.
- Is the r pronounced in “car”?
Show the answer
Yes. In General American.
Questions
Is the r silent in British English?
In many British accents the r after a vowel is silent. This course uses General American.
Why do er, ir and ur sound the same?
English spelling kept three ways to write one sound.
How do I practice?
Say the vowel, then slide the tongue back. Say car, star, horse, bird.
More lessons in this part
Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool: Phonics & Word Decoding. See also the English pronunciation guide. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30