Contrasting Vowels /e/ and /ᴣ:/ – Basic 6 English Lesson Note (Second Term)

The vowel /e/ is a short sound, as in “ten” and “bed”. The vowel /ɜ:/ is a long sound, as in “turn” and “bird”. Many learners use one sound for both, so words like “bed” and “bird” sound alike. This lesson helps pupils hear the difference and say each sound correctly.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

• say the sounds /e/ and /ɜ:/ correctly;
• tell the two sounds apart in pairs of words;
• give examples of words that contain each sound;
• use words with the two sounds in sentences.

How do we make the sounds /e/ and /ɜ:/?

The sound /e/

/e/ is a short vowel. The mouth is half open and the lips are slightly spread. Examples: ten, bed, pen, red, men.

The sound /ɜ:/

/ɜ:/ is a long vowel. The lips are relaxed and not rounded, and the sound is held a little longer. Examples: turn, bird, girl, nurse, work.

Word contrast

Read each pair aloud. The two words in a pair differ only in the vowel sound.

More words with each sound

Common spellings of /e/ are e (bed), ea (head) and ai (said). Common spellings of /ɜ:/ are ir (bird), ur (turn), er (her), ear (learn) and or after w (work, world).

Practice sentences

Read each sentence aloud. Listen for the /e/ and /ɜ:/ sounds.

• The nurse put ten pens on the bed.
• The bird sat on the red fence.
• The girl learned her lesson on Wednesday.
• Ben heard the bell in the church.

Evaluation

1. Give five other examples of words with the sound /e/ and five with the sound /ɜ:/. Do not use words from the lesson.
2. Which word has the sound /ɜ:/? (a) bed (b) bird (c) ten (d) gem
3. Which word has the sound /e/? (a) girl (b) nurse (c) pen (d) work
4. Which word has the same vowel sound as “turn”? (a) ten (b) red (c) learn (d) bed

Answer key

1. Accept correct words that were not used in the lesson, for example /e/: leg, egg, desk, bread, friend; /ɜ:/: fur, curl, first, early, earth.
2. (b) bird
3. (c) pen
4. (c) learn

Assignment

Write the words below in two lists, one for /e/ and one for /ɜ:/: red, nurse, west, shirt, said, world, bell, church, head, hurt.

Answer key

• /e/: red, west, said, bell, head
• /ɜ:/: nurse, shirt, world, church, hurt