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Why "world" sounds different in British English
RP says /wɜːld/: W, the long R-less vowel of "bird", a dark L and a D. General American has /wɝːld/, where the tongue must move from an R-coloured vowel to an L in one syllable, a combination many speakers of other languages find awkward.
In RP, the tongue rests in a neutral central position for the vowel, then the back of the tongue rises for the dark L while the tip touches the ridge behind the teeth. Do not round your lips after the W, or "world" starts to sound like "wold". Keep it to one syllable: "wur-uld" with two is a common error.
How to say "world" like a Brit, step by step
- Round your lips briefly for w, then unround them straight away.
- Hold a long central er, tongue relaxed, no R curl.
- Raise the back of the tongue and touch the tip to the gum ridge for a dark l.
- Close with d from the same tongue position: one syllable, wurld.
Practise "world" in a sentence
- She's travelled all over the world.
- It's the best fish and chips in the world.
- Hearing from you means the world to me.
Saying it once correctly is easy. Saying it right in the middle of a fast sentence is the hard part, which is why the sentences above matter more than the single word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce world in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, world is pronounced /wɜːld/, roughly "WURLD (no R)". Say a long, R-less "er", then a dark L and D, all in one syllable.
Is the American pronunciation of world wrong?
No. /wɝːld/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /wɜːld/.