LoginHow to Pronounce the /ɔ/ Sound
Learn about the /ɔ/ sound in English phonology: its articulation, usage, and distinctions from other vowel sounds in various contexts.
In this lesson, we are going to learn how the sound /ɔ/ is produced by looking at the articulatory organs.
What Type of Sound Is /ɔ/?
/ɔ/ is a long sound, between /ɑ/ and /ʊ/ sounds.
How to Produce /ɔ/?
Mouth Configuration for /ɔ/
To produce it, as in the picture, keep your mouth rounded like the /ʊ/ sound but slightly less rounded, and keep your mouth mid-open like /ɑ/ but less open. Technically speaking, it is less rounded than /ʊ/ and less open than /ɑ/.
Which Letters are Pronounced as /ɔ/?
Tip!
When two dots come after the sound as in /ɔː/, It indicates that it is pronounced as a long vowel sound, not as a short or weak sound.
/ɔ/ Around the World
Take a look at the table below and see if /ɔ/ exists in your language, if it does not, do not worry. With a little practice you will be able to produce it.
| Existence | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | x | - |
| Spanish | x | - |
| Hindi | ✔ | कौन |
| Bengali | ✔ | অমর |
| Portuguese | ✔ | formosa |
| Russian | x | - |
| Japanese | x | - |
| Vietnamese | ✔ | có |
| Turkish | x | - |
| French | ✔ | pomme |
| German | ✔ | kommen |
| Italian | ✔ | otto |
| Persian | x | - |
| Standard Arabic | x | - |
| Korean | x | - |
| Indonesian | ✔ | pohon |
| Filipino | ✔ | opo |
| Hungarian | x | - |
| Dutch | ✔ | bot |
| Polish | ✔ | rok |
| Romanian | x | - |
| Swedish* | ✔ | moll |
| Czech | x | - |
| Greek | x | - |
| Ukrainian | ✔ | по́ле |
| Urdu | ✔ | کَون |
* The sound exists in Sweden Swedish.
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