Unit 10: Old town /əʊ/ and /aʊ/

A. How to make the sound /əu/

/əʊ/ is a long sound. It moves from /ə/ to /ʊ/. Look at the diagram. Listen and say the sound. Target sound: /əʊ/

B. Sound and spelling

/əʊ/ is spelled in different ways. Listen and repeat.

• no: /nəʊ/
• cold: /kəʊld/
• post: /pəʊst/
• close: /kləʊz/
• drove: /drəʊv/
• home: /həʊm/
• phone: /fəʊn/
• know: /nəʊ/
• low: /ləʊ/
• show: /ʃəʊ/
• slow: /sləʊ/
• boat: /bəʊt/
• toe: /təʊ/

Listen and say these sentences.

1. I don’t know. /aɪ dəʊnt nəʊ/
2. My toes are cold. /maɪ təʊz ə kəʊld/
3. She phoned me in October. /ʃi fəʊnd mi ɪn ɒkˈtəʊbə/
4. They showed us their home. /ðeɪ ʃəʊd ʌs ðeə həʊm/

C. How to make the sound /aʊ/

/aʊ/ is a long sound. It moves from /a/ to /ʊ/. Look at the
diagram. Listen and say the sound. Target sound: /aʊ/

D. Sound and spelling

/aʊ/ is usually spelled ow or ou. Listen and repeat.

• how: /haʊ/
• now: /naʊ/
• vowel: /ˈvaʊəl/
• loud: /laʊd/
• mouth: /maʊθ/

Listen and say these phrases and sentences.

1. a thousand pounds /ə ˈθaʊznd paʊndz/
2. loud vowel sounds /laʊd ˈvaʊəl saʊndz/
3. round the house /raʊnd ðə haʊs/
4. Countdown – three, two, one, now! /ˈkaʊntdaʊn – θriː tuː wʌn naʊ/