```
Minimal Pairs: Listening exercises |Minimal Pairs | L1 pronunciation problems | Home

Listening Discrimination – /ɔ:/ and /ɜ:/

/ɔ:/ as in "four"   ·   /ɜ:/ as in "fur"

Listen to each word and decide which vowel sound you hear.

Choose FOUR if you hear /ɔ:/, or FUR if you hear /ɜ:/.

You can listen to the word again before answering.

First listen to the two examples

  
Question 1 of 20
Listen to the word:
Score: 0

Remember

/ɔ:/ is the vowel sound in four, court, form, short.

/ɜ:/ is the vowel sound in fur, curt, firm, shirt.

Concentrate on the vowel sound itself rather than on the spelling.

Listening discrimination – British English vowel contrast
Next exercise: Listening discrimination - /ɔ:/ and /əʊ/ - "court" and "coat" →
```