The letter o

hot, home, disposable...

1. Pronunciation of the letter o.

The letter o can be pronounced either with the short vowel sound /ɒ/, as in dog, or with the long vowel sound /əʊ/, as in no.

Listen to these words and drag them to the correct column according to how the o is pronounced. First you will hear the example sounds and words.

2. Listen and repeat.

Now listen again and repeat the words as you hear them.


/ɒ/ (short sound) /əʊ/ (long sound)
hot
bother
loss
fossil
shop
boss
home
kilo
lower
most
global
disposable
over
clothes

3. Listen and write.

Listen to these sentences and write the words in the spaces.

4. Listen and repeat.

Now listen again and repeat the sentences, paying attention to rhythm.

1. I wonder if you could lower the temperature.
2. Do you think disposable clothes will ever be popular?
3. It bothers me to see cigarette butts all over the beach.
4. Most homes have telephones these days.
5. She went to the shop for two kilos of tomatoes.
6. Burning fossil fuels causes global warming.
7. Does it bother you if I smoke?
8. Don't overheat or overcool rooms in your home.