From IR to eternity (IR notes)

/ɜ:/ Notes

1. circuitous
   Students of ESOL should note that this has 4 syllables, the second and third being /ju:ɪ/ (although the word circuit has only 2). Note also that the Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample has /ə/ in the first syllable.
2. extirpate
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample has /ə/. The word is rarely used, and when it is a precise enunciation (with /ɜ:/) is common.
3. firsthand
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because it is entirely metaphorical.
4. headfirst
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because it is largely metaphorical - always, except when referring to an actual physical plunge.
5. jailbird
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because a jailbird is not a bird.
6. lovebird
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because a lovebird is not - in the more common, metaphorical sense - a bird.
7. stillbirth
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because what is born is more than just "still".
8. yardbird
   This escapes the usual exclusioin of compounds because it is not a bird (and the "yard" in question is of a particular sort).

/ɪ/ Notes

1. aspirateɪ
   In the adjective. the last syllable is /ət/. In the verb. the last syllable is /eɪt/.
2. direct, direction, directionless, directive, directly, directorate, directorial, directorship, directory, indirect. indirectly
   See also /aɪ/.
3. directorial
   See also /aɪ/. (Although the Macmillan English Dictionary does not, in this one case, give two possible pronunciations - giving only the /aɪ/ variant - common usage does not observe this exception.)
4. indirectly
   The Macmillan English Dictionary does not have the /aɪ/ version, although it is common.

/aɪə/ Notes

1. campfire
   Escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because of its frequent collocation with "song". A "campfire song" is not necessarily sung in the presence of ("around" is the customary preposition) a campfire (or indeed any kind of fire).
2. desirous
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample has no /ə/, a commonly heard variant.
3. dog-tired, hard-wired, live wire, quick-fire, sure-fire
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because it is entirely metaphorical.
4. entirety
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample has no /ə/ (in the second syllable). although that is commonly heard. Students of ESOL should use this word with caution (if at all!): 'the entirety of' is usually (perhaps always) a grandiloquent way of saying'the whole',  'the whole of' or 'all'.
5. expiry, retiree, retirement, retiring
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample has no /ə/ (in the second syllable).
6. firebrand
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compound words, for two reasons. The "brand" part scarcely exists as a freestanding word (with a concrete referent, that is), and the word as a whole is - more often than not - used to refer metaphorically to a sort of person.
7. grappling iron, iron, ironing, soldering iron
   Note that the "r" is not pronounced.
8. gridiron
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because of its metaphorical use (to refer to a field marked out for American football.)
9. haywire
   This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds, because it refers neither to hay nor to wire.
10. hot-wire
    This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds, because the wires involved are not hot .
11. wiretap
    This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds because the "tap" in question is metaphorical.
12. wiry
    The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample has very little (if any) /ə/.

/aɪ/ Notes

1. direct, direction, directionless, directive, directly, director, directorate, directorship, directory, indirect
   See also /ɪ/.
2. directorial
   See also /aɪ/. (Although the Macmillan English Dictionary does not, in this one case, give two possible pronunciations - giving only the /aɪ/ variant - common usage does not observe this exception).
3. indirectly
   See also /ɪ/. The Macmillan English Dictionary does not have the /aɪ/ version (although it is not uncommon).

/ə/ Notes

1. admirable
   Note that the stress is on the first syllable.
2. circumference
   Students of ESOL should note that, unlike other words formed with the "circum-" prefix, stress is on the second syllable.
3. elixir
   The Macmillan English Dictionary gives this but /i:ə/ and /Iə/ are both common and acceptable.
4. giraffe
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample has a trace of /ɪ/ - a common and acceptable alternative.
5. miraculous
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample uses /ɪ/.
6. piranha
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, but the audio sample uses /ɪ/. Both are acceptable, and in some speech communities the /ɪ/ variant is the more common.
7. satiri[s|z]e, satirist
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, as does the audio sample, but /ɪ/ is also common.
8. tapir
   The Macmillan English Dictionary gives this pronunciation, as do most other online dictionaries, but a version with /Iə/ is common and acceptable (some might even think it preferable - as it avoids a pun with "taper".
9. triumvirate, virility
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this sound, as does the audio sample,, but a version with /ɪ/ is common.

The notes for words with *AR* representing /ə/

Here are the notes for *AR* => /ə/. Further to what I said previously about the greater need for notes when a vowel meets a sonorant, I've done some checking: there are 25  here and by comparison, in the digraphs book (which in due course will be relaunched as WVGT with Other Vowels) there are a total of 27 notes for all vowel sounds represented by all digraphs beginning with "a".

1. arbitrary
   This sound is in the third syllable. For the sound in the first, see above (/ɑ:/).
2. bastardized, militarized and notarized
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has no -ised version, though other dictionaries (for example, Collins English Dictionary) have.
3. budgetary
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this vowel, with the option of nothing, and the audio exemplifies this three-syllable version.
4. carotid artery
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this vowel sound but the audio sample has /æ/ (in the first word).
5. charisma
   Students of English for Speakers of Other Languages should note the variation in charismatic - the second "a" becomes /æ/.
6. comparable and comparably
   With this sound, primary stress is on the first syllable. But an increasiingly common version with stress on the second syllable has the sound /æ/.
7. contemporary
   Both the -or- and the -ar- have this sound, and in colloquial speech they are often elided into a single /ər/.
8. contrary
   See also under /eə/ (with a distinct meaning).
9. corollary and coronary
   Note that these two have distinct stress patterns (although there is a tendency for the two to coalesce). The first has primary stress on the second syllable. The second has primary stress on the first syllable, and this is shown unequivocally in the Macmillan English Dictionary. But in many speakers of British English primary stress is on the first syllable in both.
10. dullard
    The Macmillan English Dictionary has this vowel sound, but a version with /ɑ:/ is common.
11. harassed and harassment
    The Macmillan English Dictionary recognizes this (increasingly common) as an alternative to the /æ/ pronunciation. For more about this alternation, see this blog
12. kaross
    This borrowing from South African English is transcribed like this (with stress on the second syllable) in the Macmillan English Dictionary, but the audio sample has /æ/ and stress on the first).
13. lanyard
    This escapes the usual exclusion for compond words, as the second syllable is not pronounced /jɑ:d/ and has nothing to do with boatyards or shipyards.
14. margarine and margarita
    The second syllable has this sound. See also under /ɑ:/.
15. necessarily
    The Macmillan English Dictionary has this, with stress on the first syllable, but a pronunciation with /e/ in the third syllable (also recognized by the Macmillan English Dictionary) is becoming increasingly common.
16. ordinarily
    The Macmillan English Dictionary has this, with stress on the first syllable, but a pronunciation with /e/ in the third syllable (also recognized by the Macmillan English Dictionary) is becoming increasingly common. Sometimes, when stress is on this syllable, the sound is /æ/.
17. parliamentary
    This sound is in the penultimate syllable. See also /ɑ:/.
18. primarily and summarily
    With this vowel sound, primary stress is on the first syllable. A pronunciation with stress on the second syllable, which becomes /e/, is increasingly common.
19. salaryman
    This escapes the usual exclusion of compound words as a salaryman is not just someone who earns a salary.
20. sarsaparilla
    This sound is in the third syllable. See also under /ə/.
21. scimitar
    The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription has this vowel sound but the audio sample has /ɑ:/ (which is common - in my experience, more common).
22. tartar
    This sound is in the second syllable. See also under /ɑ:/.
23. unparliamentary
    This sound is in the penultimate syllable. See also under /ɑ:/.
24. veterinary
    Note that although this word may have either four or five (and sometimes even three: /vetənri:/ ) the word veterinarian (see under /eə/) has six syllables (with the letters -ter- being fully enunciated).
25. vineyard
    This escapes the general exclusion of -yard compounds as it does not have the /ɑ:/ pronunciation.