If you want more information on the photos in this video, which have parts of the mouth drawn in, see this video on the parts of the mouth.

How to make this sound:

Video Text:

The 'ur' as in 'her' vowel sound. This sound is very similar to the R consonant sound []. In fact, for that sound, I say when it comes at the end of a word that it is slightly more relaxed than when it comes at the beginning of a word or syllable. It is this slightly more relaxed version that is just like this vowel sound. They are the same sound. Ur. To make this sound, as you can see, the lips round a bit, so the corners come in, ur, which brings the lips away from the face. The tongue raises in the middle, and it also fattens up a little bit, which pulls the tip of the tongue back, ur. So though the tip of the tongue does fall back down, because it's further back, it's not touching anything. Ur. The middle part of the tongue, which has raised, presses against the insides of the top teeth. Ur, her.

Here is the 'ur' as in 'her' sound on the right compared with the mouth at rest on the left. Notice that the corners of the mouth are pushed in somewhat, which brings the center part of the lips away from the face. Here, parts of the mouth are drawn in. As with all vowels, the soft palate is raised. But more importantly, note the position of the tongue. The mid-front part of the tongue is raised towards the roof of the mouth. More than just raised, the mid part of the tongue is fattened up. This draws the tip of the tongue slightly back so that it is not touching anything. The 'ur' as in 'her sound. Sample words: learn, third, earn, person. Sample sentence: She was served turkey at her first American Thanksgiving. Now you will see this sentence up close and in slow motion, both straight on and from an angle, so you can really study how the mouth moves when making this sound.

She, the lips form the SH sound []. Was, the lips come together to make the W in the circle, was, the teeth come together to make the Z. Served, here's the UR shape. The lip comes up to make the V in served. Turkey, another ur. Tur-key. The corners of the lips pull out now, to make the 'ee' as in 'she' [] in turkey. And the open up to the at, tongue comes up to make the T. Her, bottom of the lip comes up to make the F, first, another ur. American, lips come together for the M, and the tongue comes up to make the N, American. Thanksgiving. Tongue through the teeth, tongue up to make the N, the K-S sound, the teeth come together to make the S, bottom of the lip up for the V sound in Thanksgiving.

And now from the angle. She, lips form that SH sound. Was, the lips make the W. Served. Here is our ur sound. The bottom lip comes up to make the V. Turkey, another ur sound. Ur. Now watch the corners of the lips pull back for the 'ee' as in 'she'. The mouth opens into at, at. Tongue comes up to make the T. Her, another UR. First, another ur. American, lips form the M of American. The tongue comes up to make the N. Thanksgiving. Tongue through the teeth for the TH. Tongue up to make the N, the teeth together to make the S sound. -giving. Thanksgiving.

International Phonetic Alphabet symbol: []

This sound is tough! It functions as a vowel but its sound is more like a consonant. According to Wikipedia's page on this sound, it occurs only in English and one other language that has only 5000 speakers! It's always followed by the consonant 'r.'

Miss the old sound video? See it here.