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Vowel

Long O

The mid back rounded diphthong vowel sound heard in words like "go", "boat", "show", and "though". It starts with a mid back rounded vowel, similar to /ɔ/ or a higher /o/, and glides towards a high back rounded vowel /ʊ/.

ō
Phonetic System (Merriam-Webster):ō

Watch the Sound

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Example Words

Main Example

go
Phonetic: goʊ

Common Words

gogoʊ
boatboʊt
showʃoʊ
thoughðoʊ
nonoʊ
sosoʊ
homehoʊm
knownoʊ
openˈoʊpən
onlyˈoʊnli

Minimal Pairs

Listen and compare similar sounds

ō
go
goʊ
Compare with
G
got
gɑt
ō
tone
toʊn
Compare with
T
town
taʊn
ō
know
noʊ
Compare with
K
no
noʊ
ō
sew
soʊ
Compare with
S
saw
sɔ

Tongue Twister

Go show Joe the slow boat to the home we know. | Joe knows the road home goes over those old stones. | Oh no, don't go alone to the old boat on the shore. | Though the snow grows cold, the old oak shows no woe. | Show Moe how to row the slow boat to the old home below.

Try it yourself

Practice saying this tongue twister

Technical Details

  • CategoryVowel
  • VoicingVoiced
  • Place of ArticulationBack (Mid)
  • Manner of ArticulationVowel (Diphthong)
  • Mouth PositionStart with lips rounded and jaw mid-open. Tongue is mid-high and pulled back. Then, glide the tongue slightly higher and further back as the lips become more rounded and the jaw closes slightly.