/ ɔː / — choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol

Analyze the question You are asked to find the word containing the long vowel sound /ɔː/. This is the vowel in words like "thought," "door," and "saw."

Explain the concept /ɔː/ is a long, rounded vowel made with the lips slightly rounded and the tongue low-back. Don't confuse it with:

• /ɒ/ (short, as in "cot," "hot")
• /ɔɪ/ (a diphthong, as in "boy," "coy")
• /aʊ/ (a diphthong, as in "plow," "cow")

Solution: check each word

• A. coy is /kɔɪ/. It has the diphthong /ɔɪ/, which glides, so it is not /ɔː/.
• B. law is /lɔː/. The "aw" spelling gives the long /ɔː/ sound, so it matches.
• C. cot is /kɒt/. It has the short vowel /ɒ/, which is a different sound.
• D. plow is /plaʊ/. It has the diphthong /aʊ/, so it is not /ɔː/.

Answer: B (law)

Tip Watch out for the pair "cot" /ɒ/ and "caught" /ɔː/. Nigerian students often mix up short /ɒ/ and long /ɔː/. The colon-like mark (ː) means the sound is held longer. Also remember that spellings like "aw," "au," "al" (as in "talk"), and "or" often signal /ɔː/ (law, cause, walk, port).