Between half-open and half-close, back, with medium lip rounding. Free (long) and tense (strong).
For the articulation of RP /ɔ:/ the back of the tongue is raised between the half-open and half-close position and no contact is made between the tongue and the upper molars.
There is medium lip-rounding. Its quality lies between CV 6 [ɔ] and CV 7 [o], i.e. [ɔ˔] or [o˕].
Spelling
<ar, or, ore, ure>
war /wɔ:/, toward /təˈwɔ:d/, sword /sɔ:d/, forward /ˈfɔ:wəd/, sore/sɔ:/, sure/ʃʊə/
<oa>
broad /brɔ:d/, abroad /əˈbrɔ:d/
<our, oar, oor>
four /fɔ:/, board /bɔ:d/, poor/pɔ:/
<aw, au, augh>
awful /ˈɔ:fl̩/, cause /kɔ:z/, daughter /ˈdɔ:tə/
<a> + <ll, lt, ld, lk, ls>
all /ɔ:l/, salt /sɔ:lt/ , bald /bɔːld/, stalk /stɔ:k/, also /ˈɔ:lsəʊ/
<ou> + <silent gh>
ought /ɔ:t/, fought /fɔ:t/
Rare cases:
<awer>
drawer/drɔ:/ ('sliding box')
<aw>
drawer /drɔ:/ ('person who draws')
<awe>
awe/ɔ:/
Examples
law / lɔ: /
bald /bɔ:ld /
sought /sɔ:t/
sword /sɔ:d/
water /ˈwɔ:tə/
always /ˈɔ:lweɪz/
before /bɪˈfɔ:/
author /ˈɔ:θə/
Sean's daughter, Laura, adores small tortoises and football. ˈʃɔ:nz ˈdɔ:tə ˈlɔ:rə əˈdɔ:z ˈsmɔ:l ˈtɔ:təsɪz ənd ˈfʊtbɔ:l/
Paul thought going to Malta in August or in autumn is a bore. /ˈpɔ:l ˈθɔ:t ˈɡəʊɪŋ tə ˈmɔ:ltə ɪn ˈɔ:ɡəst ɔ:r ɪn ˈɔ:təm ˈɪz ə ˈbɔ:/
The author of the story, George, has already gone in the yacht for a fourteen minute sail in the cold water. / ði ˈɔ:θə əv ðə ˈstɔ:ri ˈdʒɔ:dʒ həz ɔ:lˈredi ˈɡɒn ɪn ðə ˈjɒt fər ə ˌfɔ:ti:n ˌmɪnɪt ˈseɪl ɪn ðə ˈkəʊld ˈwɔ:tə/
Knife and a fork, bottle and a cork that is the way you spell New York. /naɪf ənd ə fɔ:k ˈbɒtl̩ ənd ə ˈkɔ:k ˈðæt ɪs ðə ˈweɪ ju ˈspel ˈnju: ˈjɔ:k/
Does this shop sport cords and short socks with spots? /dəz ðɪs ˈʃɒp ˈspɔ:t ˈkɔ:dz ənd ˈʃɔ:t ˈsɒks wɪð ˈspɒts/
I saw a saw in Warsaw that could outsaw any saw that I ever saw. /ˈaɪ ˈsɔ: ə ˈsɔ: ɪn ˈwɔ:sɔ: ðət kəd ˌaʊtˈsɔ: ˈeni ˈsɔ: ðət ˈaɪ ˈevə ˈsɔ:/
Pronunciation
The back of the tongue is placed between the half-open and half-closed position.
There's medium lip-rounding and no contact is made between the tongue and the upper molars. The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal).
Half-open back vowel.
When we pronounce this sound, the back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, between the half-open and the half-close position.
The lips are rounded. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.
Spelling
<o>
Examples
origen
cosa
coro
El loroorondo se comió un bollo.
Pronunciation
The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, between the half-open and the half-close position. The lips are rounded. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.