/ɝ/ vs /or/ minimal pairs
/ɝ/ is a mid central rhotic vowel; /or/ is a . Phoneme has 8 word pairs to practice this contrast, each with native-speaker audio.
| /ɝ/ | /or/ |
|---|---|
| bird | board |
| burn | born |
| turn | torn |
| shirt | short |
| heard | hoard |
| purr | pour |
| stir | store |
| fur | four |
How to teach this contrast
- Listen and point. Play each word and have learners point to or repeat the symbol they hear.
- Say and check. Learners say one word from a pair; a partner (or you) identifies which one.
- Drill it. Use Phoneme's Train mode minimal-pair drill for randomized, self-checking practice.