mirror-nearer merger

/ˌmɪɹɚ ˈnɪɹɚ ˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/US/ˌmɪɹɚ ˈnɪɚɹɚ ˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/US/-ˈniɹɚ-/Australia, UK/ˌmɪɹə ˈnɪəɹə ˌmɜːd͡ʒə/

noun

A phonemic merger where the vowels in "bit" and "beer" are pronounced the same before /r/, making "mirror" and "nearer" rhyme.

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Meanings

noun
  1. human sciencesA phonemic merger where the vowels in "bit" and "beer" are pronounced the same before /r/, making "mirror" and "nearer" rhyme.
Cite this entry
APA

mirror-nearer merger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mirror-nearer%20merger

MLA

“mirror-nearer merger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mirror-nearer%20merger. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mirror-nearer merger,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mirror-nearer%20merger.

Source: mirror-nearer merger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.