worm · warm

worm /wɜːrm/ · warm /wɔːrm/ — same w...rm frame, both r-coloured vowels, but a different vowel underneath. One's a creature in the soil, the other's a cosy temperature.

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⠿ reorder

noun — a small, long, legless creature that lives in soil — 'an earthworm' · 'the early bird catches the worm'

mouth shape

r-coloured /ɜːr/ — lips relaxed, tongue curls back for the r-colour — like 'bird', 'turn', 'her'

worm

/wɜːrm/

vowel length

r-colour /ɜːr/

plays as: “an earthworm in the soil”

⠿ reorder

A cosy blanket and a warm drink by a fireplace

adjective — moderately hot, a comfortable temperature — 'a warm blanket' · 'warm weather' · 'a warm welcome'

mouth shape

r-coloured /ɔːr/ — lips rounded, jaw drops more than worm — like 'born', 'form', 'storm'

warm

/wɔːrm/

vowel length

long /ɔː/

plays as: “a warm blanket”

Same frame, different r-coloured vowel

worm

/wɜːrm/

central r-colour — like bird, turn

≠

warm

/wɔːrm/

back-rounded r-colour — like born, form

Key difference

worm /ɜːr/: lips stay relaxed and unrounded — the same vowel as in bird and her. warm /ɔːr/: lips round and the jaw drops more — the same vowel as in born and storm. Both end in the same rm, so the vowel is the only signal.

Example sentences

worm:“The early bird catches the worm.”

worm:“There’s a worm in this apple!”

warm:“It’s warm today — wear a t-shirt.”

warm:“She wrapped herself in a warm blanket.”

Hear it in the wild

Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.

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worm

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