View source for Open-mid central unrounded vowel

{{Short description|Vowel sound represented by ⟨ɜ⟩ in IPA}}
{{Infobox IPA
|ipa symbol=ɜ
|ipa number=326
|decimal=604
|x-sampa=3
|kirshenbaum=V"
|imagefile=IPA Unicode 0x025C.svg
|imagesize=150px
|braille=256
|braille2=ar
}}
{{IPA vowels|class=floatright}}

The '''open-mid central unrounded vowel''', or '''low-mid central unrounded vowel''',<ref>{{Vowel terminology}}</ref> is a type of [[vowel]] sound, used in some [[Speech communication|spoken]] [[language]]s. The symbol in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] that represents this sound is {{angbr IPA|ɜ}} (formerly {{angbr IPA|ᴈ}}). The IPA symbol is not the digit {{angbr|3}} or the [[Cyrillic]] small letter [[Ze (Cyrillic)|Ze]] (з). The symbol is instead a reversed Latinized variant of the lowercase [[epsilon]], [[Latin epsilon|ɛ]]. The value was specified only in 1993; until then, {{angbr IPA|ɜ}} was an alternative symbol for the [[mid central unrounded vowel]] {{IPA|[ə]}}.

The {{angbr IPA|ɜ}} letter may be used with a [[raised (phonetics)|raising diacritic]] {{angbr IPA|ɜ̝}}, to denote the [[mid central unrounded vowel]]. It may also be used with a lowering diacritic {{angbr IPA|ɜ̞}}, to denote the [[near-open central unrounded vowel]].

Conversely, {{angbr IPA|ə}}, the symbol for the mid central vowel may be used with a lowering diacritic {{angbr IPA|ə̞}} to denote the open-mid central unrounded vowel, although that is more specifically written with an additional unrounding diacritic {{angbr IPA|ə̞͑}} to explicitly denote the lack of rounding (the canonical value of IPA {{angbr IPA|ə}} is undefined for rounding).

== Features ==
{{open-mid vowel}}
{{central vowel}}
{{unrounded vowel}}

== Occurrence ==
{| class="wikitable" style="clear: both;"
! colspan="2" | Language !! Word !! [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] !! Meaning !! Notes
|-
| [[Afrikaans]] || Standard{{sfnp|Wissing|2012|p=711}} || {{lang|af|[[Afrikaans alphabet|l'''i'''g]]}} || {{IPA|[lə̞χ]}} || 'light' || Also described as mid {{IPAblink|ə}},{{sfnp|Wissing|2016|loc=section "The rounded and unrounded mid-central vowels"}} typically transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ə}}. See [[Afrikaans phonology]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Cotabato Manobo language|Cotabato Manobo]]{{sfnp|Kerr|1988|pp=110, 113}} || colspan="2" align="center" | {{IPA|[bätɜʔ]}} || 'child' || Allophone of {{IPA|/a/}} before glottal consonants; may be transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ʌ}}.{{sfnp|Kerr|1988|pp=110, 113}}
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Dutch language|Dutch]]{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003|p=129}} || {{lang|nl|[[Dutch orthography|grapp'''i'''g]]}} || {{IPA|[ˈχɾɑpə̞χ]}} || 'funny' || Possible realization of {{IPA|/ə/}}.{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003|p=129}} See [[Dutch phonology]]
|-
|[[Emilian language|Emilian]]
|[[Bolognese dialect|Bolognese]]
|{{lang|egl|métt'''e'''r}}
|{{IPA|[ˈmet̪ːɜr]}}
|'to put'
|{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[English language|English]] || [[Ohio]]{{sfnp|Thomas|2001|pp=27–28}}  || rowspan="4" |''[[English orthography|b'''u'''d]]'' || rowspan="3" | {{IPA|[bɜd]}} || rowspan="4" | 'bud' || rowspan="2" | One realization of the vowel transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ʌ}} in [[American English]], typical of [[Midland American English|Midland]] or [[Southern American English]]. It is not a standard pronunciation throughout the whole country.{{sfnp|Ladefoged|1993|p=82}}{{sfnp|Thomas|2001|pp=27–28}}
|-
| Most [[Texas]] speakers{{sfnp|Thomas|2001|pp=27–28}}
|-
| Northern [[Welsh English|Wales]]{{sfnp|Tench|1990|p=135}} || Some speakers.{{sfnp|Tench|1990|p=135}} Corresponds to {{IPAslink|ə}} in other Welsh dialects.{{sfnp|Wells|1982|pp=380–381}}
|-
| [[Scottish English|Scottish]]{{sfnp|Lodge|2009|p=167}} || {{IPA|[bɜ̠d]}} || Somewhat retracted; may be more back {{IPAslink|ʌ}} instead.
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[German language|German]] || [[Chemnitz dialect]]{{sfnp|Khan|Weise|2013|p=236}} || {{lang|de|[[German orthography|p'''a'''sse]]}} || {{IPA|[ˈb̥ɜsə]}} || '[I] pass' || Typically transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|a}}.
|-
| Many speakers{{sfnp|Dudenredaktion|Kleiner|Knöbl|2015|p=52}} || {{lang|de|[[German orthography|h'''err'''lich]]}} || {{IPA|[ˈhɜːlɪç]}} || 'fantastic' || Common alternative to the diphthong {{IPA|[ɛɐ̯]}}.{{sfnp|Dudenredaktion|Kleiner|Knöbl|2015|p=52}} See [[Standard German phonology]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Hausa language|Hausa]]{{sfnp|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|pp=90–91}} || {{example needed|date=February 2017}} || || || Possible allophone of {{IPA|/a/}}, which can be as close as {{IPAblink|ə}} and as open as {{IPAblink|ä}}.{{sfnp|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|pp=90–91}}
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Jebero language|Jebero]]{{sfnp|Valenzuela|Gussenhoven|2013|p=101}} || colspan="2" align="center" | {{IPA|[ˈkɘnmɜʔ]}} || 'indigenous person' || Allophone of {{IPA|/a/}} in closed syllables.{{sfnp|Valenzuela|Gussenhoven|2013|p=101}}
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Kaingang language|Kaingang]]{{sfnp|Jolkesky|2009|pp=676–677, 682}} || colspan=2 align=center | {{IPA|[ˈɾɜ]}} || 'mark' || Varies between central {{IPA|[ɜ]}} and back {{IPAblink|ʌ}}.{{sfnp|Jolkesky|2009|pp=676, 682}}
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Kalagan language|Kalagan Kaagan]]{{sfnp|Wendel|Wendel|1978|p=198}} || colspan="2" align="center" | {{IPA|[mɜˈt̪äs]}} || 'tall' || Allophone of {{IPA|/a/}}; may be transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ʌ}}.{{sfnp|Wendel|Wendel|1978|p=198}}
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Kallahan language|Kallahan]]{{sfnp|Santiago|2010|pp=1, 8–10}} || colspan=2 align=center | {{example needed|date=February 2016}} || ||
|-
| colspan="1" | [[Ladin language|Ladin]] || Gherdëina || {{lang|lld|[[Ladin language|Urtij'''ë'''i]]}} || {{IPA|[uʀtiˈʒɜi̯]}} || [[Urtijëi]] || When stressed usually spelled with the letter ''[[wikt:ë|ë]]''.
|-
|[[Neapolitan language|Neapolitan]]
|[[:it:Dialetti dell'area appenninica lucana|Central Basilicatan varieties (Appennine Area)]]
|{{lang|nap|pes'''ä'''re}}
|[pəˈsɜrə] or [pəˈsɜ̃rə]
|'to weigh'
|Nasalization [ɜ̃] occurs in dialects such as Accetturese.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Volpe |first=Luigi |title=La lingua dei masciaioli : dizionario del dialetto di Accettura, cittadina lucana in provincia di Matera / Luigi Volpe; presentazione [di] Patrizia Del Puente |publisher=EditricErmes |year=2011 |isbn= |location=Potenza |language=it}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Paicî language|Paicî]]{{sfnp|Gordon|Maddieson|1996|p=118}} || {{lang|pri|r'''ë'''}} || {{IPA|[ɾɜ]}} || 'they' (prefix) || May be transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ʌ}}.
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Romanian language|Romanian]] || Standard{{sfnp|Sarlin|2014|p=18}} || {{lang|ro|[[Romanian orthography|m'''ă'''r]]}} || {{IPA|[mə̞r]}} || 'apple' || Typically transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ə}}. See [[Romanian phonology]]
|-
| [[Transylvanian varieties of Romanian]]{{sfnp|Pop|1938|p=30}} || {{lang|ro|[[Romanian alphabet|aș'''a''']]}} || {{IPA|[aˈʂɜ]}} || 'such' || Corresponds to {{IPAblink|ä}} in standard Romanian. See [[Romanian phonology]]
|-
| [[Sama language|Sama]] || Sibutu{{sfnp|Allison|1979|p=82}} || colspan="2" align="center" | {{IPA|[ˈsäpɜw]}} || 'roof' || Allophone of {{IPA|/a/}}; may be transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ʌ}}.{{sfnp|Allison|1979|p=82}}
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]{{sfnp|Nihalani|1999|p=132}} || || {{IPA|[sə̞rə̞]}} || 'funeral' || Typically transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ə}}.
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Temne language|Temne]]{{sfnp|Kanu|Tucker|2010|p=249}} || {{lang|tem|p'''ʌ'''s}}|| {{IPA|[pɜ́s]}} || 'brew' || Typically transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ʌ}}.{{sfnp|Kanu|Tucker|2010|p=249}}
|-
| [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] || Standard{{sfnp|Kleine|2003|p=263}} || {{lang|yi|[[Yiddish orthography|ענלעך]]|rtl=yes}} || {{IPA|[ˈɛnlɜχ]}} || 'similar' || Unstressed vowel.{{sfnp|Kleine|2003|p=263}} See [[Yiddish phonology]]
|}

== See also ==

* [[R-colored vowel]], a related phoneme in [[Rhoticity in English|rhotic dialects]] of English

== Notes ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== References ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
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{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{phoible|ɜ}}

{{IPA navigation}}

[[Category:Open-mid vowels]]
[[Category:Central vowels]]
[[Category:Unrounded vowels]]