Regional variation

How /ɔ/ varies across English

Different English accents pronounce this vowel differently. Knowing the variation helps you understand speakers from other regions, even if you only practice producing one accent yourself.

Where it varies around the world

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Quick reference

• australian: /oː/ — Higher and more rounded [oː].
• british_rp: /ɔː/ — Phonemically long /ɔː/, distinct from LOT.
• californian: /ɑ/ — Merged with LOT for most speakers.
• canadian: /ɑ/ — Fully merged with LOT.
• midwestern: /ɑ/ — Merged with LOT — 'caught' = 'cot'.
• new_york: /ɔə/ — Raised and often diphthongized [ɔə] — 'coffee' → [kɔəfi].

Interactive comparison

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Try the same word in different accents

The word caught /kɔt/ sounds different depending on where the speaker is from. Use the analyzer below to hear it in your target accent, then switch the accent setting in the analyzer to explore alternatives.

Try this sentence in the analyzer
“caught”
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/ɔ/open-mid back roundedArticulator diagram · regional variants · drill ↗