Vowel description
Your lips are completely apart as in a "yawning" position. Your jaw is lower than for any other vowel. Your tongue is flat on the floor of your mouth.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/a/
This sound occurs at the beginning and in the middle of words. Its most common spelling patterns are the letters "a" and "o" as in want, pardon, follow and opera.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/a/
Which of the following words doesn't have the sound /ow/ in it. Can you find it?
code - mode - choke - found - phone
found /faund/
Identify 1 word that has the sound /a/.
"Did they call to offer you the job?"
job /dʒɑːb/
Here’s the transcription of a sentence into International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), using General American English pronunciation.
Can you decipher it?
/aɪm ɪn ʃɑk. haʊ du ju fi:l?/
"I'm in shock. How do you feel?"
Your lips are tense and in a "whistling" position. Your jaw is almost completley raised. Your tongue is high, near the roof of your mouth.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/u:/ (It's called "tense u")
This sound occurs both at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of words. Its most common spelling patterns are the letters "o", "oa", "ow", "oe" and "ou" as in no, load, grow, goes and shoulder.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/ow/ (also descripted as /əʊ/ or /ou/)
Which of the following words doesn't have the sound /ɔ/ in it. Can you find it?
chalk - not - caught - saw - hall
not /nɑːt/
Identify 2 words that have the sound /a/.
"He has invited nearly a hundred people but a lot aren't able to come."
lot - aren't
Here’s the transcription of a sentence into International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), using General American English pronunciation.
Can you decipher it?
/aɪl hæv ə kʌp əv ti: ænd θri tʃiz ˈsændwɪtʃɪz, pliz/
"I'll have a cup of tea and three cheese sandwiches, please."
Your lips are in a tense oval shape ans slightly protruded. Your jaw is open more than for /ow/ Your tongue is low, near the floor of your mouth.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/ɔ/ (It's called "open o")
This sound occurs both at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of words. Its most common spelling patterns are the letters "o", "a", "au" and "aw" as in lost, call, taught and draw.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/ɔ/ (It's called "open o")
Which of the following words doesn't have the sound/ʊ/ in it. Can you find it?
took - full - neighborhood - fool - cushion
fool /fuːl/
Identify 4 words that have the sound /ʊ/.
"Could you put the glue on the wooden bookshelf that is in my bedroom?"
Could - put - wooden - bookshelf
Here’s the transcription of a sentence into International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), using General American English pronunciation.
Can you decipher it?
/frɛd ænd hɪz bɛst frɛnd ˈdʒɛni spɛnt ðɛr veɪˈkeɪʃən ɪn ˈvɛnɪs, ˈtɛksəs ænd ˈɛkwədɔr/
Fred and his best friend Jenny spent their vacation in Venice, Texas and Ecuador.
Your lips are tense and very rounded. Your jaw rises with the tongue and closes slightly. Your tongue glides from midlevel to near the roof of your mouth.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/ow/ (This sound is described in some dictionaries as /əʊ/ or /ou/)
This sound only occurs in the middle of words and its most common spelling patterns are the letters "u", "oo" and "ou" as in sugar, push, good, look, could and would.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/ʊ/ (It's called "lax u")
Which of the following words doesn't have the sound /uː/ in it. Can you find it?
avenue - news - musicican - tomb - noon
musician /miuˈzɪʃn/
Identify 4 words that have the sound /u:/ or /uw/.
"In June, Sue will become a new student at the University of Music in Peru".
June - new- student - Peru
Here’s the transcription of a sentence into International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), using General American English pronunciation.
Can you decipher it?
/hɚ ˈlʌvli ˈhʌzbənd rʌnz tə teɪk ðə bʌs tə bi ɑn taɪm æt hɪz ˈkʌzənz lʌntʃ/
"Her lovely husband runs to take the bus to be on time at his cousin’s lunch."
Your lips are relaxed and slightly parted. Your jaw is slightly lower than for /u:/. Your tongue is high, but lower than for /u:/.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/ʊ/ (This sound is called "lax u")
This sound occurs in the middle and at the end of words and its most common spelling patterns are the letters "u", "oo", "o", "ew" and "ue" as rule, too, do, new and blue.
Which vowel sound is it?
/a/, /ɔ/, /ʊ/, /u:/, /ow/
/u:/ (I'ts called "tense u")
Which of the following words doesn't have the sound /a/ in it. Can you find it?
rock - have - top - hot - god
have /hæv/
Identify 5 words that have the sound /ɔ/.
"My boss sometimes goes for a short walk with his dog in the morning."
boss - short - walk - dog - morning
Here’s the transcription of a sentence into International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), using General American English pronunciation.
Can you decipher it?
/maɪ ˈrɛsəpi wəz ˈhɔrəbl bɪˈkɔz aɪ hæd ə ˈtɛrəbl ˈprɑbləm wɪð ðə təˈmeɪɾoʊ, ˈɡɑrlɪk ænd ˈʌnjən sɔs/.
"My recipe was horrible because I had a terrible problem with the tomato, garlic and onion sauce".