The Vowel sound /ɔ/

The /ɔ/: as open as /ɑ/, but with rounded lips

The /ɔ/ is made in the same deep place as /ɑ/, but with your lips rounded. That's the whole difference, and it's enough to change what a word means. Don't confuse it with the Spanish o, which is far more closed and much shorter.

How it's made

• 👄 Mouth: wide open, but with the lips rounded and pushed forward.
• 👅 Tongue: back and low, as for /ɑ/.
• 🔊 Voice: voiced and long, held steady without moving.

You hear it in: law · talk · caught · bought · dog (in some accents)

⚠️ The typical Spanish-speaker mistake: using the closed Spanish o. This English vowel is far more open: law isn't lo, it's a long, rounded a.

By the end you'll be able to: round your lips without closing your mouth, and keep cot / caught apart when the person you're talking to distinguishes them.