Do you sometimes pronounce where like were, hair like her, or care like cur?

If so, you might be making a common American English pronunciation mistake: moving your tongue too quickly through the /ɛr/ sound.

This is a particularly important sound to work on if you're a non-native English speaker who wants to develop a more natural American accent.

The American /ɛr/ sound appears in many frequently used English words, including care, where, there, hair, share, and pair. Although the spelling varies, these words share the same basic vowel sound.

One of the biggest mistakes I notice is that people skip the first part of the movement and move their tongue into the American R position too quickly.

As a result, words like where can end up sounding more like were, and hair can sound more like her.

Let's break down exactly how to pronounce this sound, what your tongue needs to do, and how to practice it in everyday English.

1. Understanding the American /ɛr/ Sound

The American /ɛr/ sound is a combination of two articulatory positions.

First, you have the /ɛ/ sound, as in bed, get, and better.

Then, you transition into the American R sound, as in were, nurse, and person.

To produce the complete sound, you need to move your tongue from the first position into the second.

Think of it as two distinct movements:

• First: Move the middle of your tongue forward and slightly upward to produce the /ɛ/ portion.

• Second: Move your tongue backward into the American R position.

The important thing is that you need to produce both parts clearly.

If you move your tongue backward too quickly, you'll skip too much of the first part of the sound.

That's exactly what we're trying to correct.

2. Why You Might Be Pronouncing Where Like Were

One of the easiest ways to understand this pronunciation problem is to compare words that differ only in their vowel sounds.

Consider these pairs:

The first word in each pair contains the /ɛr/ sound, while the second contains the /ɝ/ sound.

These are different vowel sounds in American English, and you need to make sure you're producing the correct one.

For example:

• Where: Your tongue starts in the forward /ɛ/ position before moving into the R.

• Were: Your tongue starts in the more centralized R-colored vowel position.

If you're moving directly into the American R without spending enough time on the first part of /ɛr/, you might end up making these words sound much more similar than they should.

This can affect how clearly people understand you, particularly when you're speaking quickly or using these words in longer sentences.

3. How to Pronounce the American /ɛr/ Sound Correctly

Now let's work on the actual tongue movement.

The first thing you need to do is move the middle of your tongue forward and upward.

This creates the /ɛ/ starting position.

Think about the vowel in bed or get. Your tongue should be positioned relatively forward in your mouth.

From there, you need to move your tongue backward into the American R position.

So, the sequence is:

1. Tongue forward and up: /ɛ/

2. Tongue transitions backward: American R

3. Combine the movements smoothly: /ɛr/

Practice moving between these two positions slowly at first.

/ɛ/ → /r/ → /ɛr/

Pay close attention to how far your tongue travels.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is moving your tongue backward too quickly, which causes the first part of the sound to disappear.

You want to hear the /ɛ/ portion clearly before transitioning into the R.

4. Spend More Time on the First Part of the Sound

This is probably the most important part of the entire lesson.

When you're practicing the American /ɛr/ sound, you need to spend enough time on the first part of the movement.

In other words, don't rush into the R.

For practice purposes, I want you to make the /ɛ/ portion longer, louder, and more prominent than the R portion.

You should hear a clear /ɛ/ before the R takes over.

For example, compare these two approaches:

Too much emphasis on the R:

The sound becomes shortened, and you move into the R position before the first vowel has had enough time to develop.

More balanced emphasis:

You can clearly hear the /ɛ/ portion first, followed by the R.

Listen to the difference:

• /ɛ/ ... R

• /ɛ/ ... R

• Air.

• Air.

• Air.

You don't want to exaggerate the transition or create a pause between the two positions. They should connect smoothly.

However, you do want to give that first part enough time to be clearly recognizable.

Once you can produce the sound correctly in isolation, you can gradually make it faster and more natural.

5. Practice Common American English Words With the /ɛr/ Sound

Now let's incorporate the sound into some frequently used English words.

Start slowly and pay attention to the two tongue positions.

Practice these individual words:

• Care

• There

• Where

• Hair

• Pair

• Share

• Wear

• Declare

Make sure you're not jumping straight into the R.

For each word, move your tongue forward first, then backward.

Practice these everyday phrases:

I don't care.

Don't rush through care. Make sure the first part of the vowel is clearly audible.

I wish there was time.

This one can be a little more challenging because the word there appears in the middle of the sentence.

When you're speaking naturally, you might instinctively rush through it. Slow down slightly and give your tongue enough time to complete both movements.

It's over there.

Again, make sure you're not shortening the vowel or moving into the R too quickly.

I like your hair.

Pay particular attention to the difference between hair and her.

Who's your hairdresser?

This is another good opportunity to practice the sound in a longer word.

You should wear a pair of shoes.

This phrase is especially useful because it contains the /ɛr/ sound twice.

Make sure you're producing the same vowel movement in both wear and pair.

I don't care where we go.

Finally, try this complete sentence.

You'll need to produce the /ɛr/ sound twice, and both words need to remain clear even when you're speaking at a more natural pace.

6. How to Make the American /ɛr/ Sound More Natural in Everyday Speech

Being able to pronounce /ɛr/ correctly in isolation is a good start, but that's only one part of the process.

You also need to be able to use it consistently when speaking English.

This means practicing the sound in individual words, phrases, complete sentences, and eventually spontaneous conversation.

Here are a few things I recommend:

1. Practice the tongue movements separately.

Before trying to pronounce complete words, become comfortable moving your tongue from the forward /ɛ/ position into the American R position.

2. Don't rush the first part.

Make sure you're giving the initial vowel enough time to be heard clearly. If you immediately move into the R, you're likely to lose the distinction you're trying to create.

3. Practice words that are easily confused.

Spend time comparing where and were, hair and her, and care and cur.

These comparisons will help you become more aware of the differences between the sounds.

4. Incorporate the sound into complete sentences.

Don't limit your practice to individual words. Work on sentences that contain the sound in different positions so you can become more consistent when speaking.

5. Pay attention to your tongue, not just the sound.

Your pronunciation is directly connected to the physical movements you're making. Listen to your speech, but also pay attention to what your tongue is actually doing.

Remember, developing a more natural American accent requires more than memorizing pronunciation rules. You need to train your mouth muscles to consistently produce the movements that create American English sounds.

Want to Develop a More Natural American Accent?

If you're a non-native English-speaking professional who wants to develop a more natural American accent, working on individual pronunciation habits is an important place to start.

But there's more to it than simply learning how to pronounce individual sounds.

You need to understand how to articulate American vowels and consonants, recognize the differences between your native language and American English, retrain your tongue and mouth muscles, and learn how to use these sounds consistently in everyday speech.

That's exactly what I work on with my private American accent coaching clients.

I'm Mary El, an American accent coach, and I work one-on-one with non-native English-speaking professionals through structured 3- and 6-month coaching programs.

Together, we identify what's holding you back from developing a more natural American accent and build a customized training plan around your pronunciation needs.

My programs include weekly private coaching sessions, targeted practice assignments, and access to hundreds of video lessons and exercises.

Ready to work on your American accent?

Explore my private American accent coaching programs and schedule a free 25-minute consultation with me.

I'd love to hear about your goals and discuss how we can work together!