English Vowels (8 of 8)

/ou/, /au/, /ɔɪ/ - as in owe, out, boy







/ou/

To Produce:  Begin with your tongue low in back, and your lips rounded slightly.  Then raise your tongue in back to /u/, as you round your lips more.


Listen:

  --              ---                 ----

  goat        goal              go
  wrote       rode             row
 
Repeat these words:

  dope  -   dome  -  doe/dough
  hope  -   home  -  hoe
  note  -    known -  know/no
  soap  -   sewn/sown  - sew/so


Repeat these phrases:

   Go home.
   No coat.
   So slow.
   Low tone.


Practice words with /ou/ and the schwa //.  Repeat:

  focus               notice              ago                      oppose
  modem           open                arose                   suppose
 
Synonyms - Practice /ou/ in synonyms. After you hear A and B, repeat B.

  A                           B
 
  jacket                 coat
  drench                soak
  near                    close
  out of money      broke
  false                    phony
  understand         know
 

Contrast /ou/ - /a/

Can you differentiate between these sounds?  Listen to words pairs.  You will hear one word again.  Which is it?

  hole ---         hall ---
  note ---        not ----
  rote/wrote--   rot ---

Answers:  hall    not      wrote
 
Repeat these words and sentences.  Listen again after each sentence.

  John  -  Joan          He is John, and she is Joan.
  rod   -  road            There was a rod on the road.
  won't  -  want          I won't go unless I want to.
  node  -  not            The note is not there.
  coat  -  cot              The coat is on the cot.



/au/

To Produce: Begin with your jaw lowered, your tongue low in the middle, and your lips relaxed.  Then move into vowel /u/ or //, raising your jaw and tongue and rounding your lips.
 
 
Listen:

  --                   ----
 
  bound            bow
  noun              now
  sound            sow
 
Repeat these words:

  bout  --  bowed
  route --  round
  out  --  owl
  drought  --  drown
  doubt  --  down
  house  --  how
 

Repeat these phrases:

  
  Count down now.
  Found out how.
  Count out loud.
  Sounds how loud?
 

Practice words that contain both the schwa // and /au/.  Repeat:

  
  about
  account
  allowed
  amount
  announce
  around
 
 
Synonyms - Practice the diphthong /au/ in synonyms.  After you hear A and B, repeat B.
 
 
  A               B
 
  distrust     doubt
  tone          sound
  let             allow
  encircle    surround
 
 
This time after you hear A, you say B.  Then listen to the model.

  A                 B
 
  circular       round
  city              town
  noisy          loud
  yell             shout
 

Contrast: /au/ - /ou/
 

Can you differentiate between these sounds?  Listen to word pairs.  You will hear one word again.  Which is it?
 
 
  found __                 phoned __
  now __                   know/no ___
  town __                  tone __
 
 
Repeat these words and sentences.  Listen again to the sentence each time.
 
  found  -  phoned       I found out who phoned.
  hose  -   house         The hose is by the house.
  how  --   hoe             How do I hoe the garden?
  now  -   know            Now I know.
 
 
/ɔɪ/ 

To Produce:  Begin with your tongue lowin back and your lips rounded.  Then raise your tongue high in front and retract your lips, as for /i/ aor /I/.
 
 
Listen:

  --                ----

  boil            boy
  join            joy
  coil            coy
  soil            soy
  toil             toy
 
Practice words with the schwa // and /ɔɪ/.  Repeat:

   annoy
   appoint
   avoid
   destroy
   enjoy
   employ


Synonyms - Practice /ɔɪ/ in synonyms.  After you hear A and B, repeat B.
 
   A                    B
  attach            join
  damp            moist
  male child    boy
  option           choice
 
This time, after you hear A, you say B.  Then listen to the model.


  A                            B
 
  gladness               joy
  celebrate              rejoice
  tip                          point
  bother                   annoy
 

Conversational Exercise:

Practice pronouncing the vowels and diphthoungs in connected speech.  Shadow the speaker in the following conversational exercise.


Travelling is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable things you can do, provided you avoid common mistakes.  First, if you are travelling by car, be sure you fill your car with gas before you leave and, of course, make sure the oil is at the right level.  Next, check your tires.  If the air pressure is low, fill your tires to the higher level recommended by the manufacturer.  You may need to bring a map to read in case you lose your way.  Also, be sure to obey all the traffic laws along your route.  One rule to remember is that red means "stop", and green means "go".  Try not to drive when you're tired.  If you feel drowsy, pull over to the side of the road and rest, or let someone else drive.  It's the smartest advice on how get to where you are going, safe and sound.
 
 
 
Source: The American Accent Guide (2nd Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/American-Complete-Comprehensive-Pronunciation-Individuals/dp/0963413902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304307187&sr=1-1