Chapter Two · Vowels in Detail
The American /ɔ/ Sound versus /oʊ/
Page 27
Warning: Common Mistake
If you studied English outside the United States, you might have learned British pronunciation. The vowel sound that is most noticeably different between British and American English is the /ɔ/. In British English, this sound is much more rounded, almost like the /oʊ/. The words “coat” and “caught” sound similar in British English, but as you have learned, they are very different in American English. Let’s practice pronouncing the differences between the two sounds /ɔ/ and /oʊ/.
这一部分提醒你：如果以前接触过英式英语，可能会把 /ɔ/ 发得更圆，更接近 /oʊ/。
但在这本书的美式发音体系里，caught 和 coat、ball 和 bowl 要尽量区分开。
/ɔ/ 像 caught, ball, hall, lawn，嘴巴打开，嘴唇略微呈椭圆形，声音比较稳定。
/oʊ/ 像 coat, bowl, hole, loan，嘴唇更圆、更紧，并且有从 /o/ 向 /ʊ/ 滑动的感觉。
不要把 ball 和 bowl、hall 和 hole、lawn 和 loan 读成一样。
/ɔ/ 是稳定元音，/oʊ/ 是双元音，有明显滑动。
/ɔ/ = 稳定、开口、略圆，像 ball。
/oʊ/ = 圆唇、紧、有滑动，像 bowl。
Sentence Pairs for Practice
| /ɔ/ | /oʊ/ |
|---|---|
| He’s a bald man. | He’s a bold man. |
| Where is the ball? | Where is the bowl? |
| That’s a big hall. | That’s a big hole. |
| Don’t pause now. | Don’t pose now. |
| I have a big lawn. | I have a big loan. |
这些句子专门训练 /ɔ/ 和 /oʊ/。
每一组句子只有一个核心元音不同，但意思会完全变化。
ball / bowl
hall / hole
pause / pose
lawn / loan
先单独读词对，再读完整句子。
读 /ɔ/ 时，让声音保持稳定，不要滑动。
读 /oʊ/ 时，嘴唇要圆起来，并让声音滑向 /ʊ/。
ball 不是 bowl。
lawn 不是 loan。
如果你把 /ɔ/ 读得太圆、太滑，就会接近 /oʊ/。
Word Pairs in Sentences
- I bought a new boat.
- There is a ball in the bowl.
- Did you call about the coal?
- You ought to eat oats.
- I was awed that he owed so much.
这一部分把 /ɔ/ 和 /oʊ/ 放进同一个句子里。
这样练习可以帮助你在一句话里快速切换两个不同的口腔动作。
ball / bowl
call / coal
ought / oats
awed / owed
先慢读目标词：
bought, ball, call, ought, awed 保持稳定的 /ɔ/；
boat, bowl, coal, oats, owed 保持 /oʊ/ 的圆唇和滑动。
然后再读完整句子。
这一组句子练的是“同一句中切换”：
/ɔ/ 不滑动，/oʊ/ 要滑动。
可以重点反复练 bought a new boat 和 ball in the bowl。
Sentences for Practice
- We all thought that Joe went to Rome.
- I bought some clothes at the mall.
- The audience applauded when the show was over.
- Paul is going home in August.
- We’re going for a walk even though it’s cold.
- The author wrote his autobiography.
这一组句子继续综合训练 /ɔ/ 和 /oʊ/。
你需要在自然句子里分清稳定的 /ɔ/ 和有滑动的 /oʊ/。
可以重点注意这些词：
all, thought, Joe, Rome, bought, clothes, mall, audience, applauded, show, over, Paul, going, home, August, walk, though, cold, author, wrote, autobiography。
all, thought, bought, mall, audience, applauded, Paul, walk, author 更接近 /ɔ/。
Joe, Rome, clothes, show, over, going, home, though, cold, wrote 是 /oʊ/。
thought 和 though 不是一个音。
walk 和 woke 也不是一个音。
/ɔ/ 要稳，/oʊ/ 要有滑动。
第一遍慢读，先标出每个 /ɔ/ 和 /oʊ/。
第二遍跟音频读，模仿嘴型变化。
第三遍自然速度读，但不要把 /oʊ/ 的滑动省掉，也不要把 /ɔ/ 读成 /oʊ/。
这一页的核心是美式英语里 /ɔ/ 和 /oʊ/ 的区别：
/ɔ/ = 稳定，不滑动，像 ball, bought, thought。
/oʊ/ = 圆唇，有滑动，像 bowl, boat, though。