Keyword THOUGHT
/ɔː/as in “more”
How to make it
- Round your lips and push them slightly forward.
- Pull your tongue back, halfway down.
- Hold the sound — it is long.
Common mistake
Making it short, like the "o" in "hot" ("pot" for "port"), or opening into "oh" ("coat" for "caught").
In words
Listen at normal speed or slowly, then say it yourself.
- law
- talk
- more
Don't confuse with
Listen and choose the word you hear.
US and UK
British English
/ɔː/
In British English, "or" and "our" spellings use this vowel with no r: "more", "four", "north".
American English
/ɔː/
Many Americans say "law", "talk" and "caught" with the "ah" of "father". Both are normal American speech.
"Cot" and "caught"
Many Americans say "caught", "law" and "talk" with the same "ah" as "cot"; others keep a rounded "aw". Both are normal American English.
| American | British | |
|---|---|---|
| caught | /kɑːt/ | /kɔːt/ |
| law | /lɑː/ | /lɔː/ |
| talk | /tɑːk/ | /tɔːk/ |