Minimal Pair /ɑ:/ and /ɜ:/
as in fast and first
Below is a list of words that vary only by one having the vowel sound /ɑ:/ and the other the vowel sound /ɜ:/.
You can use this list to practise the sounds, or as a list of words to be careful in pronouncing.
Both sounds are long single sounds but the mouth position is different, with /ɑ:/ having a much wider open mouth position. This is why your doctor asks you to say this sound to show him or her inside your mouth. /ɜ:/ is much more like the sound people make when they are disgusted.
Elementary
fast first
Pre-Intermediate
bath berth
far fir
ha her
hard heard
heart hurt
pass purse
Intermediate
bath birth
bard bird
car cur
card curd
far fur
farm firm
guard gird
hard herd
Pa per
Upper-Intermediate
bar burr
barn burn
card Kurd
cart curt
carve curve
dart dirt
par purr
park perk
part pert
sharper Sherpa
star stir
Advanced
arc irk
barbs burbs
blah blur
carbs curbs
harpies herpes
parched perched
parp perp
quark quirk
sarge surge
shark shirk
tarps turps