Choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol /ɜː/

Analyze the question: You need the word that contains the long vowel /ɜː/, the sound in "bird", "nurse" and "learn".

Explain the concept: /ɜː/ is a long, central vowel. It is commonly spelled "er", "ir", "ur", "ear" (as in "earth") and "our" (as in "journey"). Let's check each word's pronunciation.

Solution:

• A. scourge is pronounced /skɜːdʒ/. The "our" here is pronounced like the vowel in "bird", so it contains /ɜː/.
• B. water is pronounced /ˈwɔːtə/. The vowel is /ɔː/, not /ɜː/.
• C. heart is pronounced /hɑːt/. The vowel is /ɑː/.
• D. shears is pronounced /ʃɪəz/. The vowel is the diphthong /ɪə/.

Answer: Only "scourge" has /ɜː/.

Tip: Watch out for spelling traps. The letters "ear" can give different sounds:

• "heart" gives /ɑː/
• "learn" and "earth" give /ɜː/
• "shears" and "beard" give /ɪə/

The "our" spelling also varies. "Journey", "scourge" and "courtesy" use /ɜː/, but "four" and "court" use /ɔː/. When unsure, say the word aloud and compare it with "bird".