Skip to content
Settings

O vowel accent words

British English uses a short rounded vowel in hot that American English replaces with an unrounded one, closer to haht. Many Americans also merge cot and caught entirely, a distinction the British keep. Play these in both accents and listen to how much the lips round.

Accent

15 words · intermediate · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

hot
dog
caught
thought
coffee
boss
long
gone
off
cloth
water
daughter
law
cost
wrong

More lists like this

Glottal stop T words
Button, water, bottle: many speakers swap the T for a catch in the throat. Hear where it happens.
15
Show the 15 words

Magic E words
A silent final E that changes the vowel before it: hat to hate, kit to kite. Hear the difference.
15
Show the 15 words

Long A sound words
The /eɪ/ sound in day, rain and eight, spelled six different ways. Train your ear to all of them.
15
Show the 15 words

Long E sound words
The long ee sound in see, meat and field. Hear the tense vowel across all its spellings.
15
Show the 15 words

Short I sound words
The relaxed short i in sit, big and busy. The single hardest vowel for most learners to place.
15
Show the 15 words

Schwa sound words
The most common sound in English, hiding in every unstressed syllable. Learn to hear the schwa.
15
Show the 15 words

Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.