tern — choose the word that rhymes with the given word

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that rhymes with "tern". Rhyming words have the same ending sound (vowel + final consonants), even if the spelling is different.

Explain the concept: Say the word aloud and focus on its vowel sound and ending.

• "tern" is pronounced /tɜːn/. The vowel is the long "er" sound, followed by "n".

Solution: Compare each option:

• A. fan /fæn/: the vowel is short "a", so it does not rhyme.
• B. birth /bɜːθ/: the vowel matches, but it ends in "th", not "n", so it does not rhyme.
• C. earn /ɜːn/: the vowel is the "er" sound and it ends in "n". This is a perfect rhyme with "tern".
• D. born /bɔːn/: the vowel is the "aw" sound, so it does not rhyme.

Answer: The correct option is C. earn.

Tip: Different spellings can make the same sound. "er", "ir", "ur" and "ear" (as in tern, bird, turn, earn) often share the /ɜː/ sound. Always rhyme by sound, not by spelling. Pairs like "tern/turn/learn/fern" are common in exams.