/ɔː/ vs /ɜː/: walk vs work

The rounded back /ɔː/ and the neutral central /ɜː/ separate walk/work, born/burn and warm/worm, a pair of long vowels that learners very often collapse into one.

Medium impact
8 pairs
Three voices

1 / 10

Which word do you hear?

See the difference

/ɔː/ has firm lip rounding; /ɜː/ has NONE; lips completely relaxed, tongue flat in the centre. If your lips are round on 'work', it will come out as 'walk'.

ɔː

as in walk

Lips: Rounded
Tongue: Mid-low and to the back
Voice: On
Length: Long: hold it

Learn ɔː

ɜː

as in work

Lips: Relaxed
Tongue: Relaxed, in the middle of the mouth
Voice: On
Length: Long: hold it

Learn ɜː

All 8 pairs

In a sentence

Hardest for speakers of

Questions

What is the difference between walk and work?

walk /wɔːk/ uses the /ɔː/ sound while work /wɜːk/ uses /ɜː/. /ɔː/ has firm lip rounding; /ɜː/ has NONE; lips completely relaxed, tongue flat in the centre. If your lips are round on 'work', it will come out as 'walk'.

Which learners find the /ɔː/ vs /ɜː/ contrast hardest?

It is most challenging for Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Bengali, Arabic speakers, whose first languages don't separate these two sounds.