Pronunciation of 'stir'
I have studied English for a long time and have always thought that I pronounced the word 'stir' in the right way (/stir/). Last week,however, I was flabbergasted when I heard the correct pronunciation /stɜː(r)/.
For heaven's sake, why is the word 'stir' pronounced in this way ? Is there an explanation available and are there any similar (English) 'language traps' out there ?
Thanks in advance.

Question

Pronunciation of 'stir'
I have studied English for a long time and have always thought that I pronounced the word 'stir' in the right way (/stir/).  Last week,however, I was flabbergasted when I heard the correct pronunciation  /stɜː(r)/.
For heaven's sake, why is the word 'stir' pronounced in this way ?  Is there an explanation available and are there any similar (English) 'language traps' out there ?
Thanks in advance.

Answer

The combination of the letter "i" and the letter "r" always makes the sound [ɜː] according to  rules of reading.The words  "girl","sir", "fir" and others with "ir" sound the same.

Answer

R has a funny habit in standard UK/Australian English. At the end of a syllable, it seems to disappear (in UK English it actually goes to the back of the throat, a bit like a yawn; in Australia, the R disappears entirely and the vowel is usually long). US speakers often use a different pronunciation of R, so they can afford to pronounce it every time.

The pronunciation of /stir/ sounds like a clipped version of "steer".

Answer

/stɜr/ is correct in the USA accent.

Answer

This should be according to rules of reading.

Answer

Well stir is not the only word with that particular pronunciation: fir, flirt, girl, twirl come immediately to mind. As to why this should be, I have no idea!