Pronunciation of “o”

The English language has a variety of spelling patterns for the letter o that can produce different sounds.

Here are some common spelling patterns with examples and their transcriptions using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA):

 

Short O Sound /ɒ/:

not /nɒt/

dog /dɒɡ/

hot /hɒt/

pot /pɒt/

top /tɒp/

 

 

 

Long O Sound /oʊ/:

go /ɡoʊ/

no /noʊ/

rope /roʊp/

boat /boʊt/

hope /hoʊp/

 

 

 

/ɔː/ Sound (Aw Sound):

saw /sɔː/

raw /rɔː/

law /lɔː/

draw /drɔː/

claw /klɔː/

 

 

 

/ʌ/ Sound (Uh Sound):

love /lʌv/

come /kʌm/

some /sʌm/

money /ˈmʌni/

son /sʌn/

 

 

 

/ə/ Sound (Schwa Sound): The Phonics rules for reading and spelling

photograph /ˈfoʊtəˌɡræf/

chocolate /ˈtʃɔklət/

moment /ˈmoʊmənt/

lemon /ˈlɛmən/

 

 

Silent o:

come /kʌm/

gone /ɡɒn/

comb /koʊm/

womb /wuːm/

 

 

 

 

ou Spelling Pattern:

out /aʊt/

house /haʊs/

loud /laʊd/

cloud /klaʊd/

shout /ʃaʊt/

 

 

 

ow Spelling Pattern:

cow /kaʊ/

how /haʊ/

town /taʊn/

bowl /boʊl/

brown /braʊn/

 

 

 

oi Pattern: oi Sound:

/ɔɪl/ (oil)

/kɔɪn/ (coin)

/dʒɔɪn/ (join)

/nɔɪz/ (noise)

/spɔɪl/ (spoil)

oo Pattern: Different Sounds:

/bʊk/ (book: short O)

/ɡʊd/ (good :short U)

/fʊ:t/ (foot: long U)

/blʌd/ (blood: short U)

/su:n/ (soon: long U)

or pattern –  or sound:

/fɔ:k/ (fork)

/hɔ:n/ (horn)

/stɔ:m/ (storm)

/bɔ:n/ (born)

/nɔ:θ/ (north)

ore Pattern – or Sound:

/mɔ:/ (more)

/sɔ:/ (sore)

/skɔ:/ (score)

/stɔ:/ (store)

/ɪkˈsplɔ:/ (explore)

Here are some exercises with answers to practice the different spelling patterns of the letter O in English: 

 

 

Exercise 1: Short O Sound (/ɒ/):

Identify the correct spelling of the word based on its pronunciation.

1.a) tawp [] b) top

2.a) cawt [] b) caught

3.a) pott [] b) pot

4.a) hodd [] b) hod

5.a) nat [] b) not

 

Answers:

1. b) top
2. b) caught
3. b) pot
4. b) hod
5. b) not

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 2: Long O Sound (/oʊ/):

Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.

1. I want to ____. (a) go (b) gaw
2. She loves to row her _____. (a) boat (b) bote
3. Don’t ____ your hope. (a) louse (b) lose
4. The sun is setting _____. (a) blow (b) below
5. ____ me know if you’re coming. (a) Let (b) Lat

Answers:

1. a) go
2. a) boat
3. b) lose
4. b) below
5. a) Let

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 3: Aw Sound (/ɔː/):

Identify the correct spelling for each word.

1.a) raw [ ] b) rah

2.a) clow [ ] b) claw

3.a) choclate [ ] b) chocolate

4.a) staw [ ] b) straw

5.a) law [ ] b) lah

 Answers:

1. a) raw
2. b) claw
3. b) chocolate
4. b) straw
5. a) law

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 4: Uh Sound (/ʌ/):

Choose the correct word to fill in the blanks.

1. Don’t ____ that! (a) trow (b) throw
2. She’s a ____ of sunshine. (a) bun (b) sun
3. The ____ is funny. (a) jok (b) joke
4. It’s just a small ____ in the road. (a) bum (b) bump
5. Can you ____ me some money? (a) lone (b) lend

Answers:

1. b) throw
2. b) sun
3. b) joke
4. b) bump
5. b) lend

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 5: Schwa Sound (/ə/):

Choose the correct spelling of the word.

1.a) fotograf [ ] b) photograph

2.a) choclit [ ] b) chocolate

3.a) lemmun [ ] b) lemon

4.a) mooment [ ] b) moment

Answers:

1. b) photograph
2. b) chocolate
3. b) lemon
4. b) moment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pronunciation of the letter “o”

Pronunciation of the letter “y”