Lips
Open your jaw wide, then add light rounding to the lips. Not a tight circle, just a gentle curve, as the animation shows.
Short vowels · British English
/ɒ/as in lot
The vowel in "lot" (British English). Jaw open, with just a hint of lip rounding.
Example words: lot, odd, wash, job, stop
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /ɒ/ sound?
Tongue
Tongue low and pulled back in the mouth. Keep it flat and retracted, away from the teeth.
Length
Short. This is a British English vowel, and its long partner is the "aw" of "thought": "cot" is short and open, "caught" is long with stronger rounding.
Video lesson
Try it
- Say an open "ah" with your jaw dropped.
- Keep the jaw where it is and round your lips just slightly.
- Clip the sound short: "o" as in "odd".
- Try: lot, odd, wash.
Check
Record "cot" and "caught" (in a British accent both are distinct). "Cot" should be short with light rounding, "caught" long with more. If both sound the same, shorten "cot" and relax its lips.
Common trap
Two traps: dropping the rounding entirely so "lot" sounds like "lat", or over-rounding and lengthening so "cot" turns into "caught". Keep the jaw open, the rounding light, and the sound short. Note that many American speakers use an unrounded vowel here, so British models are your best reference.
Practice: /ɒ/
Words
lotlˈɒt
oddˈɒd
washwˈɒʃ
jobdʒˈɒb
stopstˈɒp
Sentences
The coffee shop is not far.ðə kˈɒfi ʃˈɒp ɪz nˌɒt fˈɑː.
She lost her watch at the shop.ʃˌiː lˈɒst hɜː wˈɒtʃ at ðə ʃˈɒp.
He got a job at the hospital.hˌiː ɡɒt ɐ dʒˈɒb at ðə hˈɒspɪtəl.
Stop and watch the dogs in the pond.stˈɒp and wˈɒtʃ ðə dˈɒɡz ɪn ðə pˈɒnd.
I want to wash these dirty pots.ˌaɪ wˈɒnt tə wˈɒʃ ðiːz dˈɜːti pˈɒts.
🔊 plays the app's native voice. 🎤 records you so you can play it back next to it. Your recording stays in your browser.
Sounds in the same group
Is /ɒ/ one of yours?
Accenty listens to you speak and shows the sounds you miss, in British English.
