[au] as in out, house, and cow

Lips: Glide from an open position

Jaw: Rises with the tongue and closes
Tongue: Glides from low to high near the
roof of the mouth
oral drills
1.How much ground would a groundhog hog, if a groundhog could hog ground? A
groundhog would hog all the ground he could hog, if a groundhog could hog ground.
2. Round and round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.
3. Clowns around town never frown even when
they're down. Want to be a clown around town?
Then never sound down and never frown.
Possible Pronunciation Problems
[au] should be easy for you to pronounce if you remember it is a diphthong,
which is a combination of two vowel sounds. [au] is a combination of the
sounds [a] and [u]. Be sure your lips glide from a wide, open position to a
closed one, or you might simply be pronouncing the vowel [a].
EXAMPLES
If you say [a] instead of [au]: pound will sound like pond.
down will sound like Don.
EXERCISE A Listen and repeat.
[au] At the Beginning of Words
Owl ounce ourselves
Out outlet outside
Hour outfit outline
[au] In the Middle of Words
Loud mouse mountain
Down vowel pronounce
Crowd flower scout
[au] At the End of Words
Cow allow
How plough
Now
[au] Spelled
Ou ow
Foul town
Sour crown
Cloud power
Thousand eyebrow
Announce clown
Listen and repeat the following phrases and sentences. The boldfaced words
should be pronounced with the diphthong [au].
1. How are you?
2. How about it?
3. round and round
4. I doubt it!
5. hour after hour
6. around the house
7. Pronounce the vowel sounds.
8. Don't shout out loud in the house.
9. The ball bounced out of bounds.
10. Howard is proud of his town.
Circle the word in each group of four that does NOT contain the diphthong [au]
EXAMPLE bounce round found would
1. brown down flow frown
2. foul group shout loud
3. know how now cow
4. sour hour tour our
5. could count crown crowd
6. thought plough drought thousand
7. ounce out own ouch
8. flounder flood flour pounce
9. allow about power arose
10. noun consonant vowel sound
Read the following dialogue. Circle the words that contain the diphthong [au]
Mr. Brown: You look out of sorts. How come?
Mrs. Brown: I'm tired out. Didn't you hear the loud noise outside all night?
Mr. Brown: I didn't hear a sound. I was out like a light!
Mrs. Brown: Our neighbors had a big crowd; they were shouting and howling!
Mr. Brown: Why didn't you tell them to stop clowning around?
Mrs. Brown: I didn't want to sound like a grouch.
Mr. Brown: Next time I'll go out. I'm not afraid to open my mouth.
Mrs. Brown: I knew I could count on you, here comes our noisy neighbor,
Mr. Crowley, right now.
Mr. Brown: Sorry, dear, I have to go downtown, NOW!
Mrs. Brown: Come back, you coward!
Down and out three’s a crowd
Loud mouth count on you
Beats around the bush a wallflower
Thrown in the towel paint the town red

Now take turns making statements and responses, completing each response with a
phrase from the box. Pay attention to your pronunciation of the boldfaced words
containing the diphthong [au]
1. Statement: Howard is always shouting and attracting attention.
Response: Sounds like he's a _________________________.
2. Statement: Mr. Crowley has lost all his money.
Response: Sounds like he's ________________________.
3. Statement: Tim wouldn't leave my spouse and me alone last night.
Response: Sounds like __________________________.
4. Statement: We may not be able to attend your house party.
Response: Sounds like we won't _______________________.
5. Statement: Betty stayed in the corner for hours at the party.
Response: Sounds like she's __________________________.
6. Statement: The accountant talks on and on and never gets to the
point.
Response: Sounds like she __________________________.
7. Statement: My housekeeper wants to quit.
Response: Sounds like he is ready to ______________________.
8. Statement: Paulo is going out to party and dance all night.
Response: Sounds like he wants to _______________________.