Pronunciation Tip: How to Pronounce the 4 Bs – BEAR, BEER, BIRD & BEARD

The fact that the English language has 12 vocalic sounds is one of the reasons why there are many words with very similar pronunciation. This is the case of the 4 words you are going to learn how to pronounce today. These are: bear, beer, bird and beard. Unfortunately, the difference in pronunciation of these 4 words is quite subtle for English learners; so subtle, in fact, that many of my students, for example, either can’t tell the difference or can’t make the difference stand out when pronouncing them. But worry not! If you or your students are having problems with these words, check out the following video where I explain the difference and pronounce each word separately so you can learn how to pronounce them both in British and American English. ?

How to pronounce: BEAR, BEER, BIRD & BEARD (#english #pronunciation) Clic para tuitear

Now you can download, pin or save the following graphics to practise later on.

Bear

Practise reading these sentences aloud:

Did you use to watch Yogi Bear?
Some bear species are endangered.
The pain was too much to bear. (note: this «bear» is not the animal! It means «tolerate».)

Beer

Practise reading these sentences aloud:

Would you like to grab a beer?
I can’t drink beer; It upsets my stomach.
I like some beers, not all of them.

Bird

Practise reading these sentences aloud:

The early bird, gets the worm.
Can you hear that bird singing?
Some people hate birds, I dunno why.

Beard

Practise reading these sentences aloud:

I used to have a beard, but I shaved it off.
Have you noticed how many celebrities have grown beards lately?
I think beards are sexy, don’t you?

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