The /əʊ/ Diphthong (GOAT)
/əʊ/
/əʊ/ is a closing diphthong. The tongue glides from /ə/ towards /ʊ/ within one syllable.
Example Words
| Word | UK | US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| go | /ɡəʊ/ | /ɡoʊ/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| home | /həʊm/ | /hoʊm/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| phone | /fəʊn/ | /foʊn/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
Allophones Of /əʊ/
/əʊ/ has 1 allophone in the app, starting with [ə͠ʊ], a vowel followed by a nasal in the same syllable. The full list, where each occurs and the examples are in Allophones, which opens with any course or with Adroit Plus.
Words With The /əʊ/ Sound
/əʊ/ At The Start Of A Word
- oak
- oat
- oba
- obi
- ode
- old
- owe
- own
- oath
- ogle
- ogre
- okay
- okra
- omen
- omit
- only
- opal
- open
- oval
- over
- oasis
- obese
- ocean
- ochre
- odour
- older
- opine
- overt
- owner
- ozone
/əʊ/ In The Middle Of A Word
- boat
- bold
- bolt
- bone
- both
- bowl
- coal
- coat
- coax
- code
- cola
- cold
- comb
- cope
- cosy
- dose
- doze
- foal
- foam
- fold
- folk
- goad
- goal
- goat
- gold
- hoax
- hobo
- hold
- hole
- holy
/əʊ/ At The End Of A Word
- go
- no
- ago
- ego
- low
- sew
- toe
- woe
- aloe
- also
- auto
- blow
- crow
- echo
- flow
- glow
- grow
- halo
- hero
- hobo
- know
- show
- silo
- slow
- snow
- solo
- stow
- taco
- veto
- whoa
Minimal Pairs
Questions Students Ask
What kind of diphthong is /əʊ/?
/əʊ/ is a closing diphthong. The tongue glides from /ə/ towards /ʊ/ within one syllable.
Which words have the /əʊ/ sound?
For example go, home, phone.