The sound /ɑʊ/ diphthong

  • Lower your jaw and tongue, and make your lips very open and wide (as for /ɑ/). Your tongue should be low, tight, and pulled backwards.
  • Breathe out and let your vocal cords vibrate.
  • As you do this, quickly raise your tongue and move your lips into a small circle (as for /ʊ/).

This means your mouth should move from one position to another.

Spelling:

  • "ow" - cow, brown
  • "ou" - about, found
  • "ough" (less common) - bough, drought

 

LISTEN
 
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listen_to_-au-.mp3
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/ɑʊ/.../ɑʊ/.../ɑʊ/.../ɑʊ/...

cow...loud...found...towel
 
 
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stressed_-au-.mp3
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This vowel is usually stressed, as in these words:
  • power
  • loudly
  • about

 

 

 
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unstressed_-au-.mp3
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However, /ɑʊ/ can also be unstressed, as in these words:
  • doghouse
  • turnout
  • outside
 
 
COMPARE
 
Compare /ɑʊ/ with /ɑ/:
 
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compare_au-a_1.mp3
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/ɑʊ/.../ɑ/.../ɑʊ/.../ɑ/.../ɑʊ/.../ɑ/...

The sound /ɑ/ is a low, central vowel. The sound /ɑʊ/ starts as /ɑ/, but it moves quickly into a high, back vowel.
 

You can hear the difference between /ɑʊ/ and /ɑ/ in these words.
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compare_au-a_words.mp3
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1. A. mouse, B. moss
2. A. bound, B. bond
3. A. pout, B. pot
4. A. our, B. are
5. A. mouth, B. moth
6. A. tower, B. tar
 

Now compare /ɑʊ/ with /ow/:
 
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compare_au-ow_1.mp3
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/ɑʊ/.../ow/.../ɑʊ/.../ow/.../ɑʊ/.../ow/...

The sound /ow/ is a mid, back vowel. The sound /ɑʊ/ starts as a low, central vowel but moves into a high, back vowel.
 

You can hear the difference between /ɑʊ/ and /ow/ in these words.
Download english phonetics exercises audio
compare_au-ow_words.mp3
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1. A. out, B. oat
2. A. rouse, B. rose
3. A. couch, B. coach
4. A. bowel, B. bowl
5. A. drown, B. drone
6. A. found, B. phoned
 
 
PRACTICE
 
 
Download english phonetics exercises audio
words_-au-.mp3
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Listen and repeat these words:
1. now
2. mouse
3. crowd
4. couch
5. outer
6. allow
7. brown
8. count
9. sound
10. vowel
 
11. shower
12. loudly
13. lounge
14. renowned
15. doghouse
16. doubtless
17. pronounce 
18. powerful
19. coward
20. roundabout
 

Now, practice /ɑʊ/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
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sentences_-au-.mp3
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1. how - about - now 
How can you think about food right now?
2. encountered - crowd - outside
We encountered a large crowd outside.
3. scout - down - mountain
The scout led us down the mountain.
4. our - flowers - brown
Our flowers are turning brown.
5. allowed - loud - house
You're not allowed to play loud music in the house.
6. found - couch - lounge
I found him on the couch in the lounge.
 

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