Pronunciation exercises: /ɪə/ vs /ɪ/

In Received Pronunciation mirror and nearer have a different first vowel, i.e. these two words don't rhyme.

In General American there is no phoneme /ɪə/, because the difference between [ɪə] and [ɪ] is predictable: between vowels the sound is normally [ɪ], as in nearer [ˈnɪrər], in all other cases it's [ɪə] as in near [nɪər]. This means that mirror and nearer rhyme. In the United States people who distinguish these phonemes leave in the Northeast or South.

/ɪə/

 * With "er": Algeria - criterion - era - experience - interior - material - Nigeria - period - series - serious - we're
 * Ending in "ering": adhering, persevering


 * with "ear": appearance
 * ending in "earing": appearing - clearing - fearing - hearing


 * with "ee": cheerio, eerie
 * ending in "eering": engineering, volunteering


 * BrE /ɪə/, AmE /ɪə/ or /iːə/: theory
 * BrE /ɪə/, AmE /ɪə/ or /iː/: hero, zero

/ɪ/

 * With "ir": conspiracy, delirious, miracle, mirage, satiric, spirit
 * With "yr": lyric, pyramid, syringe, tyranny
 * With "irr": irradiate, irrational, irregular, mirror

/ɪə/ vs /ɪ/

 * serious - Sirius;