How to pronounce “err”
Say “err” in one beat
err
/ɝ/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɜː/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- errɝ
- IPA (American)
- /ɝ/
- IPA (British)
- /ɜː/
- Also accepted
- /ɛɹ/
- Respelling
- UR
- Syllables
- 1 — err
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɝ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Difficulty
- Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
American and British are not the same here
/ɝ/
/ɜː/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Also accepted
/ɛɹ/Where “err” goes wrong
- Often heard
“AIR”
traditionally it rhymes with fur, though AIR is now widely heard
What “err” means
- verb
to make a mistake or be incorrect
- verb
wander from a direct course or at random
“The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her”
Say it in a sentence
“It is better to err on the side of caution here.”The sounds inside this word
Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.
“err”, answered
How do you pronounce “err”?
“err” is pronounced /ɝ/ (UR) in American English and /ɜː/ in British English, and /ɛɹ/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /ɝ/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “err” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /ɝ/ — a single beat.
Is “err” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ɝ/ (UR); British English says /ɜː/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “err” mean?
As a verb: to make a mistake or be incorrect For example: “It is better to err on the side of caution here.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “err”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /ɝ/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “err” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.