ƏƱ - SCHWA + LOWER CASE UPSILON

Back, closing and narrow.

The glide of RP /əʊ/ moves from a centralised, between half-open and half-close position towards that of RP /ʊ/. There is a slight closing movement of the lower jaw, and the lips are neutral for the first element but tend to round on the second element.

The starting point may have a tongue position similar to RP /ɜ:/.

With no Spanish counterpart, English /əʊ/ is similar to the Galician glide in e.g. cousa (Gal 'thing'), the first element being more central and open, and the second more relaxed in English.

Spelling

<o> cold /kəʊld/ , won't /wəʊnt/
<oe> doe /dəʊ/ , woe /wəʊ/
<ou , ough, ow> shoulder /ˈʃəʊldə/ , poultry /ˈpəʊltri/ , sparrow /ˈspærəʊ/
<oa> load /ləʊd/ , oatmeal /ˈəʊtmi:l/
French loanwords with the following spellings
<eau> château /ˈʃætəʊ/ , plateau /ˈplætəʊ/ , bureau /ˈbjʊərəʊ/
<au> mauve /məʊv/ , au pair /əʊ peə/ , gauche /ɡəʊʃ
<ot> argot /ˈɑ:ɡəʊ/ , tarot /ˈtærəʊ/
Rare cases:
<ew> sew /səʊ/
<oo> brooch /brəʊtʃ/
<ao> Paraoh /ˈferəʊ/

Examples

so /səʊ/


foe /fəʊ/


grows /ɡrəʊz/


gross /ɡrəʊs/


brooch /brəʊtʃ/


reproach /rɪˈprəʊtʃ/


soldier /ˈsəʊldʒə/


neurosis /njʊəˈrəʊsɪs/


Although you offered Joe Jones a soup bowl full of chocolate scones, he's joking he'll make a snowball and will throw it at your nose.
/ɔ:lˈðəʊ ju ˈɒfəd ˈdʒəʊ ˈʤəʊnz ə ˈsu:p ˈbəʊl ˈfʊl əv ˈtʃɒklət ˈskəʊnz | hiz ˈdʒəʊkɪŋ hil ˈmeɪk ə ˈsnəʊbɑ:l ənd wɪl ˈθrəʊ ɪt ət jə ˈnəʊz/



Hello, Joan, do you know that you can see the vocal folds with this microscope?
/həˈləʊ | ˈdʒəʊn | də ju ˈnəʊ ðət ju kən ˈsi: ðə ˈvəʊkl̩ ˈfəʊldz wɪð ðɪs ˈmaɪkrəskəʊp/



Oh! Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously.
/ˈəʊ || ˈməʊzɪz səˈpəʊzɪz ɪz ˈtəʊzɪz ə ˈrəʊzɪz | bət ˈməʊzɪz səˈpəʊzɪz ɪˈrəʊnɪəsli/



The two-toed tree toad tried to tread where the three-toed tree toad trod.
/ðə ˌtu:təʊd tri: ˈtəʊd ˈtraɪd tə ˈtred weə ðə ˌθri:təʊd tri: ˈtəʊd ˈtrɒd/

Pronunciation






The tongue moves upwards from an centralised between half-open and half-close position to a half-close back position. The lips change from neutral to slightly rounded. The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal).





ew - Lower case e + lower case w

Falling diphthong.

The first sound in this diphthong is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from an half open position to a close position.

To pronounce the second element, the semivowel [w], the tongue is close to the palate, in the same way as when we pronounce /u/. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.

Spelling

<eu>

Examples

Europa


terapéutico


eufórico


Eugenio firmó con un seudónimo.

Pronunciation




The first sound is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from an half open position to a close position. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.




ow - Lower case o + lower case w

Falling diphthong

The first sound in this diphthong is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from a half open position to a close position.

To pronounce the second element, the semivowel [w], the tongue is close to the palate, in the same way as when we pronounce /u/. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.

Spelling

<ou>

Examples

Lo urdió


Lo utilizó


bou


María lo usó mal.

Pronunciation





The first sound is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from a half open position to a close position. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.