/ɪə/

The /ɪə/ sound in English is a centering diphthong, which means it’s a complex vowel sound that starts with one vowel (/ɪ/ as in ‘sit’) and transitions to another (/ə/ as in ‘about’) within the same syllable. Here’s how you pronounce it:

• Position your mouth and tongue: For the /ɪə/ sound, your mouth should initially be slightly open (for the /ɪ/ part), with your tongue near the front roof of your mouth. As the sound transitions to /ə/, your mouth closes a bit and your tongue moves to the center of your mouth. Your lips are unrounded throughout the pronunciation.
• Voicing: The /ɪə/ sound is a voiced vowel, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you produce this sound. You should feel a vibration if you lightly touch the front of your throat while saying the sound.
• Release the sound: With your mouth and tongue in the correct positions, let your breath flow out over your tongue and through your mouth. As you make the sound, smoothly transition from the /ɪ/ position to the /ə/ position. The vocal cords vibrate to produce the /ɪə/ sound.