Loginou In British English
'ou' is one of the most common digraphs in English grammar. In this lesson, we will learn how it is pronounced.
Digraphs are a set of two letters that stand together and produce a new sound.
Digraph | ou |
|---|---|
Name | ui (pronounced /ˈəʊ ˈjuː/) |
Common Sound(s) | /aʊ/, /ʌ/, /uː/, /əʊ/, /ə/, /ɔ:/ |
The Digraph 'ou'
Sound 1: /aʊ/
'ou' always stands in the middle of words and it can sound /aʊ/:
house /haʊs/
cloud /klaʊd/
mountain /ˈmaʊn.tɪn/
fountain /ˈfaʊn.tən/
Sound 2: /ʌ/
'ou' in the middle of words also sounds /ʌ/:
touch /tʌtʃ/
tough /tʌf/
cousin /ˈkʌz.ən/
Sound 3: /uː/
'ou' standing in the middle of words or in the word 'you' can sound /uː/:
group /ɡruːp/
soup /suːp/
you /juː/
Sound 4: /əʊ/
'ou' standing in the middle of words can sound /əʊ/:
shoulder /ˈʃəʊldə(r)/
boulder /ˈbəʊldə(r)/
soul /səʊl/
Sound 5: /ə/
'ou' mainly in ous sounds /ə/:
enormous /ɪˈnɔː.məs/
famous /ˈfeɪ.məs/
glamorous /ˈɡlæm.ər.əs/
courageous /kəˈreɪ.dʒəs/
Sound 6: /ɔ:/
'ou' standing in the middle of words also sounds /ɔ:/ especially in the word 'tour' and its derived forms. Note that in British English it can sound/ʊə/.
contour /ˈkɒn.tɔː(r)/ or /ˈkɒntʊə(r)/
tour /tʊə(r)/, /tɔː(r)/
tourist /ˈtʊə.rɪst/, /ˈtɔː.rɪst/
Tip!
In the word 'cough', the letters 'ou' sound /ɒ/:
cough /kɒf/
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