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Two OO sounds

The letters OO spell two distinct vowels: the long tense sound in food and the short lax one in book. There is no rule that predicts which, so each word has to be learned. Listen for length and lip tension: the long one is held longer with tighter rounding.

Accent

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

The words

book
boot
good
food
foot
moon
look
soon
wood
room
cook
school
stood
pool
should

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ER sound words
Bird, work, learn, turn: five spellings, one vowel. Hear the central ER sound in every accent.
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SH vs CH sounds
Ship or chip, share or chair. One flows, one starts with a tiny stop. Hear the pairs contrasted.
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P and B aspiration pairs
Pin or bin, pat or bat. English P has a puff of air that B does not. Hear the pairs contrasted.
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Short A sound words
The flat short a in cat, bad and hand. A vowel that does not exist in most other languages.
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Long O sound words
The gliding O in go, boat and know. Hear how the vowel moves rather than staying still.
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Trap-bath split words
Bath, dance, can't: short flat A in America, long ah in southern England. Hear the split.
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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.