Introduction to other Vowels > How to pronounce ‘aw sound’  /ɔ/ > Common 'aw sound’ /ɔ/ spellings > Practice pronouncing 'aw sound’ /ɔ/

How to pronounce the 'aw sound' /ɔ/

The entire tongue is pushed back and kept low during the pronunciation of the 'aw sound' /ɔ/. The bottom side teeth can be felt alongside the front of the tongue during the sound. The back of the tongue has only a slight rounding upward at the very rear of the mouth. The lips are made into an oval shape, and may stick slightly outward.

The North American 'aw sound' /ɔ/ is one of the sounds with the greatest variation in pronunciation even within the continent. Some regions of the United States do not consider this to be a different sound from the 'short o' /ɑ/. However, in many regions of the country it is a unique sound; therefore it is described separately.