The English vowel /ɔ/ ![Includes sound files!](../../../../images/Paul%20Joyce/soundmin2.gif)
There is a great variation in American English with the words pronounced with /ɔ/ and /ɑ/ : some people pronounce 'fog' /fɔg/ and others say /fɑg/; 'wash' is /wɑʃ/ or /wɔʃ/; 'orange' is /ɔrɪnʤ/ or /ɑrɪnʤ/. Notably, many words indicated in the dictionaries pronounced with /ɔ/ are pronounced with /ɑ/. In fact, in some accents (the Midwest and Canada), there is no difference between /ɔ/ and /ɑ/: words with /ɔ/ are pronounced more like /ɑ/ (with or without rounded lips). For example, 'Don' and 'dawn' are pronounced /dɑn/; 'stock' and 'stalk' are pronounced /stɑk/. If you have doubts about the pronunciation of a word, use /ɑ/. Its most common writing patterns are: 'o', 'al', 'au', 'aw'.
But, if they are confused, we are left with only the pronunciations of the University of Iowa.
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The English vowel /oʊ/
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