Are you ready to practice your pronunciation? Today we’re going to work on three very common words in English: where, were, and we’re. To get the most benefit out of this lesson, don’t just watch – instead, actually repeat the words and sentences after me!
How to pronounce “where”
The word where rhymes with care, fair, and stare. It is pronounced exactly the same as the word wear (as in wear clothes). Let’s practice:
care, fair, stare, where
How to pronounce “were”
The word were rhymes with sir and fur. It’s the same sound as in the word bird. Let’s practice:
sir, fur, bird, were
How to pronounce “we’re”
The word we’re is short for “we are.” You can pronounce it with an eer sound as in beer and fear:
beer, fear, we’re
However, when speaking fast, we often pronounce it more like were:
- We’re going to the beach.
- We’re all done with our homework.
Pronunciation practice: sentences
Let’s try some sentences with each of these words. Listen and repeat after me:
- Where is the nearest bank?
- I don’t know where my keys are.
- The cookies were delicious.
- Where were you last night?
- I think we’re almost ready to leave.
- We’re not sure if the packages were delivered.
- We’re wondering where to park the car.
When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect! If you keep working on it – especially by listening to a native speaker and trying to imitate – your pronunciation will get better and better. I can help you practice more if you join my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses, which include lots of listen-and-repeat exercises.
