How to pronounce there's in American English

IPA /ðɛrz/ Syllables 1 · dhairz Stress 1st syllable

DHAIRZ

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Americans pronounce there's as DHAIRZ (/ðɛrz/). The R is one continuous sound with the vowel — the tongue curls back rather than rolling.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.

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Why it sounds different

Why "there's" sounds like DHAIRZ.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, a tiny act of laziness that makes the rhythm feel right. It comes out as DHAIRZ.

In real conversation

Hear "there's" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"I believe there's a problem with the alarm."

ahy buh·LEEV DHAIRZ uh PRAH·bluhm wihth dhee uh·LARM

"The alarm will sound if there's a problem."

dhee uh·LARM wihl SOWND ihf DHAIRZ uh PRAH·bluhm

"There's a beautiful park near the harbor."

DHAIRZ uh BYOO·tuh·fuhl PARK NEER dhuh HAR·ber

"There's a lot of confusion about the new policy."

DHAIRZ uh LAHT uhv kuhn·FYOO·zhuhn uh·BOWT dhuh noo PAH·luh·see

"There's a path through the trees."

DHAIRZ uh PATH throo dhuh TREEZ

"There's no easy way to say this."

DHAIRZ NOH EE·zee WAY tuh SAY dhihs

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.

… (no R)→… r (curl the tongue)

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How do I pronounce the R in "there's"?

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R: the tongue curls back rather than rolling, and the R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it — not two separate sounds. Don't try to pronounce a separate vowel followed by a separate R. Treat them as a single shape.

Is the American pronunciation of "there's" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "DHAIRZ" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Why "there's" sounds like DHAIRZ.

Hear "there's" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Questions people ask about this.

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