//

diphthong

The OW (now) Sound

as in now

How to make the // sound

Voiced — vocal cords vibrate
voiced voiceless
  1. 1Open wide with "ah"…
  2. 2…then round the lips toward "oo".
  3. 3Glide smoothly: "ah-oo".

⚠ The most common mistake

Saying a flat "o", so "about" becomes "aboat".

Especially tricky for speakers of: Dutch, Hindi.

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying now, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Practice words with //

Tap the speaker to hear each word; tap the word for its full pronunciation page.

More diphthongs

See all 44 sounds of English →