worth · worse The difference in meaning and sound
What they mean
Worth is about value: "it's worth ten dollars", "worth the wait", "is it worth it?" Worse is the comparative of bad, the opposite of better: "the traffic got worse", "it could be worse."
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Hear both words in 10 voices
Each row is one speaker saying both words. Play one, then the other, and switch to slow when the difference hides.
- American woman, younger
- American woman, older
- American man, younger
- American man, older
- British woman, younger
- British woman, older
- British man, younger
- British man, older
- Australian woman
- Australian man
What's different
Everything before the last sound is shared, including the "er" vowel of bird, which or spells after w, as in work and word. So the whole difference sits at the very end, with nothing after it to help.
Worse ends on a sharp hiss that is louder and usually longer, and keeps going until the word stops. Worth ends on a soft, flat breath, made with the tongue tip against the upper teeth, and you may barely hear it. If the word seems to end early, it's worth.
Studies: Thomson 2018
TH is a soft, flat breath. S is a sharp hiss.
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