Minimal Pairs

Minimal Pairs /ɑ:/ and /ɜ:/

fast and first

Below are lists of words that vary only by one having the vowel sound /ɑ:/ and the other the vowel sound /ɜ:/. You can use this to practise the sounds or as a list of words to be careful to pronounce properly.

Both sounds are long single sounds but the mouth position is different, with /ɑ:/ having a much wider open mouth position. This is why your doctor asks you to say this sound to show him or her inside your mouth. /ɜ:/ is much more like the sound people make when they are disgusted.

Elementary
bar burr*
bath berth*
car cur*
card curd*
fast first
guard gird*
ha* her
SCART* skirt

Pre-Intermediate
bard* bird
far fir*
hard heard 
hard herd*
heart hurt
parse* purse
pass purse
past pursed*

Intermediate
barn* burn
bath birth
cart curt*
far fur
farm firm
Pa per
part pert*
sharper Sherpa*

Upper-Intermediate
bark berk*
blah* blur
card Kurd
carve curve
dart dirt
par purr
park perk
shark shirk*
star stir

Advanced/Proficiency
arc irk
barbs burbs
carbs curbs
harpies herpes
parched perched
parp perp
quark quirk
sarge surge
tarps turps

* the meaning of the word is not important at this level, but it can still be used to contrast the pronunciation with the other word.