ɪƏ - SMALL UPPER CASE I + SCHWA

Falling, narrow, front centring/opening diphthong.

The glide of RP /ɪə/ moves from a half-close and centralized front tongue position (as for RP /ɪ/) in the direction of the more open variety of /ə/ in word final positions, or to a mid type of /ə/ in non final contexts.

The lips change from slightly spread to neutrally open. In unaccented syllables with the schwa element usually representing a suffix with morphemic status, the starting point may be pronounced as a closer vowel [iə], which seems to indicate a hiatus of the vowels in sequence (e.g. easier, serious).

In Spanish we may find approximate realizations of English /ɪə/ in such words as e.g. día 'day', vía 'way', mía 'mine' (fem. sing.), in which the starting point is closer, and end-point, very open.

Spelling

<(i)er(e)> hero /ˈhɪərəʊ/ , era /ˈɪərə/ , mere /mɪə/, experience /ɪkˈspɪərɪəns/
<eer> beer /bɪə/, engineer /ˌendʒɪˈnɪə/
<ear> year /jɜ:/, tear (n) /ˈtɪə/ , beard /bɪəd/
<ier, eir, ir> chandelier /ˌʃændəˈlɪə/, weird /wɪəd/, emir /eˈmɪə/, souvenir /ˌsuːvəˈnɪə/
<e> or <e> r + V / <y> Algeciras /ˌælʒɪˈsɪərəs/, query /ˈkwɪəri/
The pronunciation /iə/ is also found with the following spellings (usu. in Classical languages loanwords):
<ue, eo, eou> petroleum /pɪˈtrəʊliəm/, theological /ˌθiəˈlɒdʒɪkl̩/, spontaneous /spɒnˈteɪniəs/
<io, iou> union /ˈjuːniən/, previous /ˈpri:viəs/
<iu> stadium /ˈsteɪdiəm/, delirium /dɪˈlɪriəm/

Examples

dear /dɪə/


fears /fɪəz/


fierce /fɪəs/


fakir /fəˈkɪə/


period /ˈpɪərɪəd/


sincere /sɪnˈsɪə/


museum /mjuːˈzɪəm/


material /məˈtɪərɪəl/


'What about having a beer and some cereal here, in the same place as last year?' said Mr Lear to the Austrian, white bearded mountaineer.
/ˈwɒt əˈbaʊt ˈhævɪŋ ə ˈbɪər ənd səm ˈsɪərɪəl | ˈhɪə ɪn ðə seɪm ˈpleɪs əz ˈlɑ:st ˈjɜ: || ˈsed ˈmɪstə ˈlɪə tə ði ˈɒstriən | ˈwaɪt ˈbɪədɪd ˌmaʊntɪˈnɪə/



Good idea, the atmosphere is ideal!
/ˈɡʊd aɪˈdɪə | ði ˈætməsfɪə z aɪˈdɪəl/



Here come the beers, cheers!
/ˈhɪə ˈkʌm ðə ˈbɪəz |ˈtʃɪəz/



Real weird rear wheels!
/ˈrɪəl ˈwɪəd ˈrɪə ˈwiːlz/



Deer, deer, oh dear, your career as a deer is over here.
/ˈdɪə | ˈdɪə | əʊ ˈdɪə | jə kəˈrɪər əz ə ˈdɪə z ˈəʊvə hɪə/



Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.
/ˈnɪər ən ˈɪə | ə ˈnɪərər ˈɪə | ə ˈnɪəli ˈɪəri ˈɪə/

Pronunciation




The tongue moves downwards from from a half-close centralised front position to a central half open position or even lower. The lips change from slightly spread to neutrally open.

The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal).