The beer is in his beard

A bit of pronunciation today. Many trendy guys, as well as those too lazy to shave, have beards these days. But how to pronounce the word? I think many people's reasoning is a bit like this: I know how to pronounce the word "bear", you know, Winnie the Pooh, Baloo and the nameless creature that is Masha's best friend. So I say "bear" and then I put a "d" at the end of it and that's that. Which is logical. Unfortunately, the English language is not logical and therefore learners have to suffer. I'm sorry about that, but there's nothing I can do about it. And so, surprise surprise, "bear" and "beard" are pronounced differently. Rather than furry animals that live in the forest, you have to think about that nice lovely drink that you get at the Oktoberfest. That's right, boys and girls, you have to think about beer! In fact, it's quite a nice thing to think about, so I suppose this isn't a problem. So think of "beer", stick a "d" at the end of it, and you have the right pronunciation of "beard".

I think the best way to remember this is to think of a hipster guy with a great big hipster beard. If it helps imagine a vintage shirt, big glasses, perhaps a pair of skinny jeans and a love of obscure bands - you can let your imagination do the work. Now, one thing hipsters love is beer. Not just any beer, mind you. No, a proper hipster likes craft beer, made with care and attention in a micro-brewery. However, the problem is that these specialty beers can be quite expensive compared to a can from your local Lidl, and here our hipster takes a great risk. He takes a sip of his costly artisan-created drink and then, disaster, most of it ends up in his facial hair! Oh no! The beer is in his beard! Keep this image in your head and you will never forget the right pronunciation of "beard" again.