worm · warm7/20
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worm
US IPA: /wɝm/
warm
US IPA: /wɔrm/
Speed
- 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
What's different
After w, English spelling shifts. Or is said like "er", as in word, work and worm, and ar is said like "or", as in war, warn and warm. So worm rhymes with term, and warm rhymes with storm.
Unlike walk, warm keeps a round "aw" in American voices, because the r after it holds the lips forward. Listen to the first moment after the w: a round, open "aw" is warm, and a flat, muffled "er" is worm.
Studies: Lambacher et al. 2002 · Lambacher et al. 2005
Listen for
ɜː (work) is muffled and flat. ɔː (walk) is rounded and deeper.
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