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

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that contains the diphthong /əʊ/. This is the vowel sound in words like "go," "note," and "boat."

Explain the concept: /əʊ/ is a diphthong that glides from a mid central sound (/ə/) to a short /ʊ/. It is often spelled with o, oa, ow, or o-e.

Solution: Let's check each word's pronunciation.

• A. vogue is /vəʊɡ/. It has the /əʊ/ sound, spelled with "o" followed by a silent "ue".
• B. drool is /druːl/. It has the long vowel /uː/, so it is not the answer.
• C. plough is /plaʊ/. It has the diphthong /aʊ/, as in "now". The "ough" spelling is tricky here, but it does not give /əʊ/.
• D. drawn is /drɔːn/. It has the long vowel /ɔː/, so it is not the answer.

Answer: Only "vogue" contains /əʊ/, so the answer is A.

Tip: Watch out for the letters "ough," which can be pronounced in many ways:

• though /ðəʊ/ → /əʊ/
• plough /plaʊ/ → /aʊ/
• through /θruː/ → /uː/
• thought /θɔːt/ → /ɔː/

When you meet one in an exam, say the word aloud in your head instead of trusting the spelling. Keep practising, you're doing well!