11. R-Controlled Vowels: The Vowel to PURPLE Sounds
Some of the most common English words don’t contain just one vowel sound, they contain two. Words like fire, pair, and car move from one clear vowel into the PURPLE SHIRT sound. These combinations are a defining feature of North American English and are often described as R-controlled vowels.
What makes these sounds tricky is that the movement matters. Each Vowel-to-PURPLE sound has two parts: first, a full Color Vowel®, followed by a smooth glide into PURPLE. Many learners skip that first vowel and let the PURPLE SHIRT sound dominate. When that happens, words can lose clarity—fire may sound like fur, or car like cr.
In this lesson, you’ll learn to stretch and connect both parts of these moving vowels using structured repetition and contrast practice. By giving each sound enough time to move from the vowel into PURPLE, your speech becomes clearer, more stable, and easier to understand.
✨ Members unlock extended practice, word floods, contrast drills, and phrases to make Vowel-to-PURPLE sounds smooth and automatic.
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Go beyond understanding and start applying. Members unlock guided phrase, sentence, and paragraph practice that helps new sounds settle into your muscle memory and carry over into everyday speech.
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Apply what you’ve learned through short, realistic speaking prompts that bridge practice and real conversation, helping your voice feel steadier and more intentional.
Each week, you’ll get a simple speaking challenge that encourages you to apply what you’re learning right away.
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