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    aʊ

    The /aʊ/ sound: ow as in now

    • Diphthong
    • Glides
    • Medium priority

    Hear it

    in now

    Lips
    Close into a round
    Tongue
    Glides up
    Voice
    On
    Length
    Long: one sound that moves

    How to make /aʊ/

    1. 1

      Open wide on /a/, as in 'car' but shorter.

    2. 2

      Glide back and round your lips towards /ʊ/.

    3. 3

      Now, house, about.

    Sounds like
    the sound you make when something hurts, 'ow!'

    How /aʊ/ is spelled

    • ou
    • ow

    The usual mistake

    Reducing it to a pure /aː/ or /ɔː/ so 'about' loses its glide. The lips must visibly round by the end.

    Say it and get scored

    Read now, house, about, crowd, allow, out aloud. Free, no account.

    Check my /aʊ/

    Questions

    How do you pronounce the /aʊ/ sound?
    Open wide on /a/, as in 'car' but shorter. Glide back and round your lips towards /ʊ/. Now, house, about.
    What is the most common mistake with /aʊ/?
    Reducing it to a pure /aː/ or /ɔː/ so 'about' loses its glide. The lips must visibly round by the end.
    Which spellings make the /aʊ/ sound?
    Common spellings include “ou”, “ow”, as in now /naʊ/, house /haʊs/, about /əˈbaʊt/.
    Does /aʊ/ 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.