Fix 'Word', 'Work', and 'World' Pronunciation: The ER Sound (er, ir, ur, or, ear)

If you read the word "work" and want to say /wɔrk/ like in Spanish, you're not alone. Many Spanish speakers try to pronounce the written vowel. But in English, these words don't have a clear O, A, or E. They use the r-colored vowel often called the ER sound (the NURSE vowel): /ɝ/ (stressed) or /ɚ/ (unstressed).

The key rule

When you see er, ir, ur, or, ear, or wor- in words like word, work, first, turn, learn, the vowel is usually the ER sound /ɝ/ or /ɚ/, not the regular letter vowel. Don't try to say the written O or U.

How it works

Note: /ɝ/ = stressed ER, /ɚ/ = unstressed ER. Terminology: “NURSE” is the Wells lexical set label for this ER vowel; it’s a category name, not a different pronunciation.

Think of ER as one vowel with R color. Your tongue moves toward the American R position. Common spellings for ER (/ɝ ~ ɚ/) with definitions:

her [hɝ] (she; her)
term [tɝm] (term; period)
serve [sɝv] (to serve)
nerve [nɝv] (nerve; courage)
person [ˈpɝsən] (person)
perfect [ˈpɝfɪkt] (perfect)

bird [bɝd] (bird)
first [fɝst] (first)
girl [ɡɝl] (girl)
shirt [ʃɝt] (shirt)
third [θɝd] (third)
birthday [ˈbɝθˌdeɪ] (birthday)
circle [ˈsɝkəl] (circle)

turn [tɝn] (to turn; turn)
nurse [nɝs] (nurse)
burn [bɝn] (to burn; burn)
hurt [hɝt] (to hurt; hurt)
churn [t͡ʃɝn] (to churn; stir)
Thursday [ˈθɝzˌdeɪ] (Thursday)
purple [ˈpɝpəl] (purple)
curtain [ˈkɝtən] (curtain)

or (before certain consonants)

word [wɝd] (word)
work [wɝk] (work)
world [wɝld] (world)
worse [wɝs] (worse)
worth [wɝθ] (worth; value)
worm [wɝm] (worm)
worship [ˈwɝʃɪp] (to worship)

ear (learn/early/earth family)

learn [lɝn] (to learn)
early [ˈɝli] (early)
earth [ɝθ] (earth)
earn [ɝn] (to earn)
heard [hɝd] (heard; past of hear)
pearl [pɝl] (pearl)
search [sɝt͡ʃ] (to search)

The WOR- rule (high value)

WOR + consonant usually sounds like [wɝ]:

work [wɝk] (work)
world [wɝld] (world)
worm [wɝm] (worm)
worst [wɝst] (worst)
worse [wɝs] (worse)
worth [wɝθ] (worth; value)
worship [ˈwɝʃɪp] (to worship)
worry [ˈwɝi] (to worry)

WOR vs WAR/WORE (quick contrast)

WOR → [wɝ]: work, world, worm, worse, worth

WAR/WORE → [wɔr]/[wɑr]: war, warm, ward, wore, warn

Unstressed ER in endings -er/-or → /ɚ/

In many words, the final syllable has an unstressed ER /ɚ/:

teacher [ˈtiːt͡ʃɚ] (teacher)
doctor [ˈdɑktɚ] (doctor)
actor [ˈæktɚ] (actor)
runner [ˈrʌnɚ] (runner)
better [ˈbɛtɚ] (better)
computer [kəmˈpjuːtɚ] (computer)
speaker [ˈspiːkɚ] (speaker)

Common mistakes

Saying an O: work [wɔrk] or word [woɾð] (Spanish pattern). The correct target is [wɝk] and [wɝd].
Adding a separate R after a clear vowel: wo-rrk. Make it one sound: [wɝk].
Reading "or" as [ɔr] everywhere. In many American accents, in these words it's [ɝ].
Confusing ER words with the non-ER war/wore set: work [wɝk] vs warm [wɔrm], word [wɝd] vs warred [wɔrd].

When it doesn't apply (exceptions)

Words that are NOT ER (even if they look like it)

war → [wɔr]/[wɑr] (war)
warm → [wɔrm] (warm)
ward → [wɔrd] (ward; hospital room)
warn → [wɔrn] (to warn)
wore → [wɔr] (past of wear)
horse → [hɔrs] (horse)
short → [ʃɔrt] (short)
north → [nɔrθ] (north)
port → [pɔrt] (port)
fork → [fɔrk] (fork)
storm → [stɔrm] (storm)
corn → [kɔrn] (corn)
bear → [bɛr] (bear)
pear → [pɛr] (pear)
wear → [wɛr] (to wear)
hear → [hɪr] ~ [hiːr] (to hear)
dear → [dɪr] ~ [diːr] (dear; expensive)
near → [nɪr] ~ [niːr] (near)
year → [jɪr] ~ [jiːr] (year)
sword → [sɔrd] (sword)
tour → [tʊr] (tour)
tourist → [ˈtʊrɪst] (tourist)
sure → [ʃʊr] (sure)
foreign → [ˈfɔrən] (foreign)
origin → [ˈɔrɪdʒɪn] (origin)
orange → [ˈɔrɪndʒ] (orange)

Accent and reduction notes

Some function words or syllabic-R cases vary by accent. Master the core ER words first.
In non-rhotic accents (many in the UK), post-vocalic R is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. This guide uses American English (rhotic).
Stress can shift between /ɝ/ and /ɚ/ across word families: teacher [ˈtiːt͡ʃɚ] vs learn [lɝn].
Worry can be [ˈwɝi] (common AmE) or [ˈwʌri] in some accents.

Mini practice

Say these groups focusing on ER [ɝ], not O/U:

ER core (one smooth vowel)

word [wɝd] (word)
work [wɝk] (work)
world [wɝld] (world)
worth [wɝθ] (worth; value)
worm [wɝm] (worm)
worse [wɝs] (worse)

ER by spelling

her [hɝ] (she; her)
perfect [ˈpɝfɪkt] (perfect)
person [ˈpɝsən] (person)
bird [bɝd] (bird)
first [fɝst] (first)
birthday [ˈbɝθˌdeɪ] (birthday)
turn [tɝn] (to turn; turn)
nurse [nɝs] (nurse)
purple [ˈpɝpəl] (purple)
word [wɝd] (word)
worship [ˈwɝʃɪp] (to worship)
worst [wɝst] (worst)
learn [lɝn] (to learn)
early [ˈɝli] (early)
earth [ɝθ] (earth)
pearl [pɝl] (pearl)

Endings -er/-or (unstressed /ɚ/)

teacher [ˈtiːt͡ʃɚ] (teacher)
doctor [ˈdɑktɚ] (doctor)
better [ˈbɛtɚ] (better)
runner [ˈrʌnɚ] (runner)
computer [kəmˈpjuːtɚ] (computer)

Confusing pairs (contrast)

work [wɝk] (work) vs walk [wɔk] (walk)
worm [wɝm] (worm) vs warm [wɔrm] (warm)
word [wɝd] (word) vs ward [wɔrd] (ward)
were [wɝ] (strong form) vs wore [wɔr] (past of wear)

Minimal pairs (quick drill)

A	IPA	B	IPA
work	wɝk	walk	wɔk
worm	wɝm	warm	wɔrm
word	wɝd	ward	wɔrd
were	wɝ	wore	wɔr

Try our interactive practice tools:

Vowel practice: /en/practice/pronunciation/vowels
Difficult words: /en/practice/pronunciation/words

Conclusion and next steps

Don't trust the letter, trust the sound. In word, work, world, and similar words, the vowel is ER /ɝ ~ ɚ/. Train the r-colored vowel, and your speech will immediately sound more natural.