TESL

Long ō vowel diphthong

• Practice the ŭ sound
• Close your mouth a little for the short oo sound. As you say it,push your lips forward into a circle (the /w/ shape)
• Because ō is a long sound, hold it a little bit longer
• Listen for the difference between the two sounds, and repeat the ō sound

Pronunciation Tips

• The sound /ow/ is longest and the glide is most noticeable in stressed syllables at the end of a word, as in go or below, or before a voiced consonant, as in phone or goes. It is shorter before a voiceless consonant, as in coat. In an unstressed syllable, there may be no glide at all. Compare road / wrote, close (verb) / close (adjective), robe / rope.
• When one word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound, link the two vowels smoothly without a break.
• When the sound /ow/ comes before another vowel sound, use the /w/ sound to link the two vowels together.

Examples [Insert 2 pictures]

Teacher-led Activities:

Practice linking the vowels together with the /ow/ sound:

1. There was no answer.
2. No, I don’t.
3. Do you know everyone?
4. Sure, go ahead.
5. Is the window open?
6. It's so annoying.
7. We can't go in
8. Is there snow on the ground?
9. Joe isn't home.
10. No, are you cold?

Which word do you hear?

1. I fell in the (hall/hole).
2. Could you (saw/sew) this for me?
3. Don't drop the (ball/bowl)!
4. I (walk/woke) early in the morning.
5. Were you (called/cold)?
6. Do you know anything about the (cost/coast)?
7. caught/coat
8. bought/boat
9. goat/got
10. note/not
11. slope/slop
12. tot/tote