5th class The vowel sounds /ɒ/ and /ɔː/

The two phonemes /ɒ, ɔː/ are produced in the two lower back quadrants.
1. To make the sound /ɒ/ relax your tongue and allow the tip to rest just behind your
bottom front teeth. The back or the tongue is low. Open your mouth wide and make
your lips round and forward. This is a short sound.
2. To make the sound /ɔː/ relax your tongue and allow the tip to rest just behind your
bottom front teeth. You should make room by pressing your tongue against the back
bottom or your mouth. Open your mouth wide and make your lips very round. This is
a long gliding sound.

A Listen and repeat these two vowel sounds /ɒ, ɔː/. (exeA)
/ɒ/ not gone cough watch hot shot wrong want what washing
/nɒt/ /gɒn/ /kɒf/ /wɒʧ/ /hɒt/ /ʃɒt/ /rɒŋ/ /wɒnt/ /wɒt/ /ˈwɒʃɪŋ/

/ɔː/ sport north tall bought law ball august course thought walk
/spɔːt/ /nɔːθ/ /tɔːl/ /bɔːt/ /lɔː/ /bɔːl/ /ˈɔːgəst/ /kɔːs/ /θɔːt/ /wɔːk/

B Listen and repeat to these Minimal Pairs /ɒ, ɔː/. (exeB)

sound /ɒ/ sound /ɔː/
Is your name Don? /dɒn/ Is your name Dawn? /dɔːn/
This cod was in the sea. /kɒd/ This cord was in the sea. /kɔːd/
He was shot. /ʃɒt/ He was short. /ʃɔːt/
It’s a small pot. /pɒt/ It’s a small port. /pɔːt/
Look for the fox. /fɒks/ Look for the forks. /fɔːks/
I don’t like these spots. /spɒt/ I don’t like these sports. /spɔːt/

C You will hear six sets of words from the Minimal Pair /ɒ, ɔː/. For each set, write the
correspondent sound you hear. (exeC)
1 2 3 4 5
Don / dawn
cod / cord
shot / short
pot / port ɔː
fox / forks
spot / sport
D Write the underlined verbs in the past tense. (exeD)
Example We buy everything at the supermarket. We bought everything at the supermarket.
1 I think about you every day. I _________ about you every day.
2 We always walk home from school. We always _________ home from school.
3 I catch the first bus in the morning. I _________ the first bus in the morning.
4 My daughter teaches English. My daughter _________ English.

E Read the phonemic transcription of some words and their definitions. Try to figure out
what these words are and write them down.
1 /bɔːl/ __________ a round object used in some sports
2 /flɔː/___________ the flat surface that you stand on inside a building
3 /sɔːlt/ __________ a natural white mineral that is added to food
4 /dɒg/___________ a common animal with four legs, fur, and a tail
5 /bɒtl/__________ a container with a narrow top for keeping liquids in
6 /bɒks/__________ a container in which you can put all sort of things in
7 /dɔː/___________ a flat board that you move when you go in or out of a place

F Listen to a woman describing her kitchen. All the missing words are from exercise E. (exeF)
This is our kitchen. On the table there’s a big ____________ full of shopping, a
____________ of wine and some ____________ and pepper. There’s a ____________ on
the ____________ and the ____________’s asleep in the corner behind the __________ .

G Listen and underline the word you hear. (exeG)

1 Cost or coast? What’s the cost / coast like?

2 Four or far? It isn’t four / far.
3 Shot or shut? They shot / shut the door.
4 Walk or woke? I walk / woke the dog.
5 Port or pot? There’s coffee in the port / pot.
6 Worked or walked? We worked / walked all day.
H Mute your microphone. Listen and record these words. Send them to the WhatsApp group.
(exeH)

lock daughter
door want
gone almost
horse watch
wrong talk
law quantity

I Listen to these sentences. Mute your microphone practise them. Then, record and share
them in your WhatsApp group. (exeI)

1 He thought she caught the four forty train, but she boarded the fourteen forty.
2 She lost her plot at the allotment and had nowhere to grow her poppies.
3 Tom thought his hot toffee sauce and chocolate shortbread were awesome, and not at
all naughty.

J Extra activity. Listen, read and practise these two texts below focusing on the focal vowel
sounds.
Dogs -focus on /ɒ/ sound. (exeJ1)
A lot of my friends got dogs. They’re a really popular pet, because they’re so loyal. There
are a lot of different sorts of dogs. You can choose whatever kind of dog you want to suit
your lifestyle. Some dogs are working dogs, and help humans by doing various jobs. Some
work on farms, controlling sheep; others help with transport, particularly in snowy areas.
It’s also common for dogs to help the emergency services, or soldiers, because they have
such a wonderful sense of smell.

Horses -focus on /ɔː/ sound. (exeJ2)

Horses are adorable animals. They are very strong and have been relied upon to support
people throughout history. They have been important in farming, policing, and even
warfare, but perhaps most often in sport. You can visit a racecourse to watch horses that
have been taught to respond to commands racing in front of an enormous audience.
People often place bets on which horse will win (if they can afford it). I would have more
fun riding a horse along the seashore, or riding one to go walking in the forest. I can’t
think of anything more awesome than exploring the world on four legs.
K Use the words outside the map to locate the five cities you’re flying to. Without showing
your map, explain your flight plan to a colleague. S/he numbers your correct destinations.
When you finish, your colleague has to tell you which places you are going to visit. Then take
turns.
Example: I’ll fly from dawn to shot. Then I’ll fly from pot to sports. (Paris and Santiago)