This is the /ɔ:/ sound. As in the words:
or /ɔː/
all /ɔːl/
your /jɔː/
It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Open-Mid Back Rounded Vowel’.
Remember that the key to pronunciation is physical and the name tells us about how the sound
is made physically. In this case your tongue is low and at the back of your mouth.
Rounded refers to your lips because they are pushed together like you are going to kiss someone.
All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you need to vibrate your vocal chords
to make the sound.
It is similar to the /ɒ/ sound, but the two little dots mean that it is a longer sound.
/ɔ:/ not /ɒ/.
To produce the sound put your tongue low and at the back of your mouth
then lightly push your lips together while making a long voiced sound.
This sound is often spelled with the letters 'o-r' as in the words:
for /fɔː/
more /mɔː/
But it can also be spelled with the letter 'a' as in the words:
also /'ɔːlsəʊ/
talk /tɔːk/
Like with all sounds in English the spelling can be very inconsistent.
And you will always find alternative and unusual spellings of the vowel sounds.
It is one of the most difficult things in English but you just have t learn it.
Here are some words that start with the /ɔ:/ sound:
almost /ˈɔːlməʊst/
although /ɔːlˈðəʊ/
already /ɔːlˈredi/
organization /ˌɔːgənaɪˈzeɪʆən/
Here are some words that have the sound in the middle:
call /kɔːl/
water /ˈwɔːtə/
important /ɪmˈpɔːtənt/ small /smɔːl/
Here are some words with the /ɔ:/ at the end.
door /dɔː/
sure /ʆɔː/
war /wɔː/
four /fɔː/
So that is it for the /ɔ:/ sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups
of sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video explaining
the overall phonetic chart.
You can also click on any of the symbols behind me to see a similar video with lots of examples
and an explanation of how to pronounce that sound.
We regularly post new videos.
So if you like this video and want to continue improving your English, click here to subscribe to our channel.
At the English Language Club we also offer live English classes via Skype or Google Hangouts.
Visit our website to make a booking with me or one of our other teachers.
You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.