Written oo = /ɔ-ɚ/

There are 4 ways we pronounce written double oo:

1. /uw/ most common
2. /ʊ/ small number of words
3. /ʌ/
4. /ɔ-ɚ/
5. practice/uw, ʊ, ʌ, ɔ–ɚ/

 

Written double oo = /ɔ–ɚ/ in only 3 words.

door /ˈdɔ–ɚ/
floor /ˈflɔ–ɚ/
poor /ˈpɔ–ɚ/

 

Why do we say it this way?
The answer is…the Secret of R [link]

an unstressed vowel + written r = always /ɚ/

do-or /ˈdɔ–ɚ/
flo-or /ˈflɔ–ɚ/
po-or  /ˈpɔ–ɚ

 

a red front door
/ə-ˈrɛd-frən-ˈdɔ–ɚ/

 

revolving doors
/rɪ-ˈvɑl-vɪŋ-ˈdɔ–ɚz/

 

He’s knocking on the door.
/hiyz-ˈnɑ-kɪŋ-an-ðə-ˈdɔ–ɚ/

 

Our house is blue.
/ˈa-wɚ-haw-sɪz-ˈbluw/
Our next-door neighbor‘s house is green.
/ˈa-wɚ-nɛkst-ˈdɔ–ɚ-ˈney-bɚz-haw-sɪz-ˈgriyn/

 

We live in a 2-story house.
/wiy-lɪ-vɪ-nə-ˈtuw-stɔ-ɚ-iy-ˈhaws/
The kitchen is on the first floor.
/ðə-kɪ-t͡ʃɪ-nɪ-zɑn-ðə-fɚst-flɔ–ɚ/
The bedrooms are on the second floor.
/ðə-bɛd-ruwm-za-ɚ-an-ðə-sɛ-kɪn-flɔ–ɚ/

 

a wood floor
/ə-ˈwʊd-ˈflɔ–ɚ/

 

a tile floor
/ə-ˈtayl-ˈflɔ–ɚ/

 

He’s rolling on the floor laughing.
/hiyz-ˈrow-lɪŋ-an-ðə-ˈflɔ–ɚ-ˈlæ-fɪŋ/

 

Poor dog.
/ˈpɔ–ɚ-ˈdɔg/

 

This is poor driving.
/ˈðɪ-sɪz-ˈpɔ–ɚ-ˈdray-vɪŋ/

Note:

The word poor is pronounced differently in different regions of the U.S.

It’s okay to say either /ˈpɔ–ɚ/ or /puw–ɚ/.

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