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    ɔː

    The /ɔː/ sound: aw as in law

    • Vowel
    • Long
    • Medium priority

    Hear it

    in law

    Lips
    Rounded
    Tongue
    Mid-low and to the back
    Voice
    On
    Length
    Long: hold it

    The sound on its own: recording by No machine-readable author provided. Denelson83 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. Credits

    How to make /ɔː/

    1. 1

      Round your lips firmly, as if about to say 'or'.

    2. 2

      Keep your tongue back and mid-low.

    3. 3

      Hold it long: laaaw, thooought.

    Sounds like
    a long, rounded 'aw', like a slow 'or' without the r
    British and American
    American English pronounces the r in 'four' and 'door' (/fɔr/, /dɔr/), and many speakers merge /ɔː/ with /ɑ/ ('caught' = 'cot').

    /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/: shot vs short

    Every pair

    Both are rounded and at the back, but /ɔː/ is longer and closer, with firmer lip rounding. Count silently to two while holding the vowel in 'short'.

    1 / 8

    Which word do you hear?

    How /ɔː/ is spelled

    • aw
    • au
    • ough
    • or
    • al
    • oor
    • ar

    The usual mistake

    Shortening it so 'port' sounds like 'pot', or breaking it into two sounds. Spelled many ways: 'thought', 'walk', 'four' and 'water' all use /ɔː/.

    Words to practise

    Say it and get scored

    Read law, walk, thought, four, water, door aloud. Free, no account.

    Check my /ɔː/

    Questions

    How do you pronounce the /ɔː/ sound?
    Round your lips firmly, as if about to say 'or'. Keep your tongue back and mid-low. Hold it long: laaaw, thooought.
    What is the most common mistake with /ɔː/?
    Shortening it so 'port' sounds like 'pot', or breaking it into two sounds. Spelled many ways: 'thought', 'walk', 'four' and 'water' all use /ɔː/.
    Which spellings make the /ɔː/ sound?
    Common spellings include “aw”, “au”, “ough”, “or”, “al”, “oor”, “ar”, as in law /lɔː/, walk /wɔːk/, thought /θɔːt/.
    Is /ɔː/ different in American English?
    American English pronounces the r in 'four' and 'door' (/fɔr/, /dɔr/), and many speakers merge /ɔː/ with /ɑ/ ('caught' = 'cot'). IELTS accepts both; pick one model and stay consistent.
    Does /ɔː/ matter for IELTS?
    It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.