Pronunciation · vowel

The /ɔː/ sound — aw as in law

In short

/ɔː/ is a long open-mid back rounded vowel — the vowel you hear in law, walk, thought. Like every diphthong, the glide between two positions IS the sound. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

How to pronounce /ɔː/

1Round your lips firmly, as if about to say 'or'.
2Keep your tongue back and mid-low.
3Hold it long: laaaw, thooought.

Sounds like: a long, rounded 'aw', like a slow 'or' without the r

/ɔː/ in words — with audio

Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

law/lɔː/ · sound is final
walk/wɔːk/ · sound is medial
thought/θɔːt/ · sound is medial
four/fɔː/ · sound is final
water/ˈwɔːtə/ · sound is medial
door/dɔː/ · sound is final

The mistake almost everyone makes

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

Spellings of /ɔː/

These letter patterns commonly spell /ɔː/: aw au ough or al oor ar. English spelling is unreliable — trust the IPA, not the letters.

British vs American: American English pronounces the r in 'four' and 'door' (/fɔr/, /dɔr/), and many speakers merge /ɔː/ with /ɑ/ ('caught' = 'cot').

Don't confuse it with…

Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast — the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.

Frequently asked 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.

Next step

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