How to tell /ɒ/ and /ɔː/ apart
Practice the difference between the short vowel /ɒ/ and the long vowel /ɔː/.
/ɒ/
Short O
cot /kɒt/
A short, open back rounded vowel.
Common mistake: Learners often lengthen /ɒ/, making cot sound like caught.
/ɔː/
Long O (aw)
caught /kɔːt/
A long, rounded back vowel held longer than /ɒ/.
Common mistake: Learners often shorten /ɔː/, making caught sound like cot.
- •/ɒ/ is short: cot, pot, cod.
- •/ɔː/ is long: caught, port, cord.
- •Round your lips more for /ɔː/.
- •The key difference is length.
Minimal pairs
cot/kɒt/
caught/kɔːt/
pot/pɒt/
port/pɔːt/
cod/kɒd/
cord/kɔːd/