Lesson 5 : The [ /ɜː/] sound as in "third"

Long Vowel [ /ɜː/]

Speech organs Position

Relaxed lips, Jaw halt-open and the center of the tongue just slightly rising


Words

Look at the mouth diagram to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound

Highlighted bold letters pronounced as [ /ɜː/]


er - perjury, commercial, were, verse, infernal

ir - shirt, first, stir, girl, sir, bird

ear -yearn, earn, pearl

ur - urge, occur, murmuring, burden, furnace,burn

or - work, worse, world, word



sentences

Read each sentences aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.


1. The girls in purple shirts were urged not to disturb sir Cuthbert.

2. This purple shirt is the worst in the world! I have no words!

3.we were working in the world bank at first; then we were transferred to the Commercial

Chambers in perth.

4. My boyfriend is a perfect nerd who makes his earnings when everyone else is yawning.

5. The girl heard that she came third in the world Championship as a hurdler.

6. Ursula observed that the boy wore a dirty purple jersey


Verses

When I was a lad I served a term

As office boy to an Attorney's firm.


The rich attorney was good as his word;

and every day my voice was heard

At the sessions or ancient Bailey