One syllable: Ere.
er
/ɛɹ/
Ere is pronounced er (/ɛɹ/). It has one syllable (Ere), with the stress on "Ere". Ere is a noun meaning an archaic or poetic form meaning before, often used in literary or biblical contexts. It denotes a time prior to the moment in question. In contemporary usage it appears mainly in poetry, prose, or historical discussions, lending a formal or antiquated tone to the writing or speech.
nounEre is a noun meaning an archaic or poetic form meaning before, often used in literary or biblical contexts. It denotes a time prior to the moment in question. In contemporary usage it appears mainly in poetry, prose, or historical discussions, lending a formal or antiquated tone to the writing or speech.
"1) Ere the sun rose, the villagers gathered by the river."
"2) He made his decision ere the meeting began."
"3) Ere long, the storm swept over the coast."
Pronounce it as /ɛr/ in US and UK English. The vowel is a short, open-mid front lax /ɛ/ like in 'bed', followed by an r-colored vowel that blends into /r/ in rhotic accents. In non-rhotic accents you may hear a lengthened vowel before a silent or weakly articulated /r/. In Australian English you’ll hear a similar /ɛː/ realization depending on speaker; aim for a crisp /ɛr/ sequence. IPA: US/UK /ɛr/. Audio reference: listen to standard pronunciations in Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries or Forvo.
Two common errors are turning /ɛr/ into a long /ɜː/ or conflating with /eɪ/ as in 'air' or 'air' without the r-coloring. Another mistake is inserting an extra vowel between /ɛ/ and /r/ (e.g., /eɝ/). Correction: maintain a short /ɛ/ and glide directly into /r/ without an intervening schwa. Practice with minimal pairs like 'bed' vs. 'bear' to feel the short vowel before the r-colored sound.
In US and UK rhotic varieties, /ɛr/ is clear with an audible /r/ after the vowel. In many strong non-rhotic UK accents, the /r/ is less pronounced, sometimes almost silent when not before a vowel, producing a more open /ɛə/ sound. Australian English tends toward a more centralized /ɪə/ or diphthongized /ɛː/ depending on region, but many speakers retain a visible /r/ in careful speech. Overall: US/UK rhoticity vs AU variability in linking and r-lessness.
The difficulty lies in achieving a clean, short /ɛ/ before an /r/ that blends smoothly without adding a separate vowel. The /r/ must be characterized by a raised tongue blade and a curled or bunched tongue in many speakers. Coordinating a tight jaw and lip rounding for /ɛ/ with the following /r/ requires practice. Mispronunciations include /eɪr/ or /ɛə/ with a non-rhotic lapse. Focus on keeping the vowel crisp and the tongue blade close to the palate.
Yes. The iconic you-know-it’s-archaic function relies on a short, clipped vowel followed immediately by a consonant-like r. The stress is typically on the word’s sole syllable, so keep the vowel brief and the r clearly attached. In careful speech, you’ll hear a slightly tighter, nearly syllabic r sound at the end of the syllable. This word’s identity hinges on the shortness of /ɛ/ and the smooth transition into /r/.
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Ere derives from Old English ere, meaning 'before, formerly, previously'. It is attested in early Germanic texts and resembles the Proto-Germanic root *airaz, indicating temporal precedence. In Middle English it appeared in poetry and prose with the same temporal sense, often used in religious or chivalric literature to denote something occurring before a specified event. Its usage has declined in modern everyday speech but persists in poetic, archaic, or biblical diction. The word is typically found in texts where formality or elegance is desired, and it frequently occurs alongside other archaic terms like 'erewhile' or 'erewhile' meaning previously. The term's first known written uses appear in Old English glosses and early translations of Latin biblical passages, and by the 14th–15th centuries it was entrenched in English literary tradition as an adverbial or prepositional element signaling temporal precedence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Ere" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Ere" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Ere"
-are sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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