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Long O
The diphthong sound heard in words like "go", "home", "boat", and "know". It's a combination of two vowel sounds: it starts with a sound similar to the "o" in "go" (/o/) and glides towards the "oo" sound in "too" (/ʊ/).
Start with the jaw mid-open and the tongue mid-high and back in the mouth. Then, glide the tongue higher and more back while the jaw closes slightly. The lips start rounded and become more rounded as the sound finishes.
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Example Words
goʊhoʊmboʊtnoʊroʊdkoʊldoʊldsnoʊsloʊʃoʊPronunciation Practice
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goʊgɑthoʊmhɑtboʊtbʌtnoʊnaʊTongue Twister
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Use the hub pages below to reinforce this sound with drills and deeper explanations.
Sound Hub
Study English diphthongs
See how English gliding vowels work and where they appear in common words.
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Practice English diphthongs
Train the glide and mouth movement behind the main diphthong patterns.
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Diphthongs are vowel sounds where your mouth glides from one position to another. Learn what makes them different from regular vowels and why they matter for clear English pronunciation.
Pronunciation
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Spanish, Portuguese, and French speakers often turn English diphthongs into flat vowels, making 'say' sound like 'seh' and 'go' like 'goh.' Learn exactly why this happens and how to master the glide in all five English diphthongs.