/ɒ/

short vowel

The Short O Sound

as in hot

How to make the /ɒ/ sound

Voiced — vocal cords vibrate
voiced voiceless
  1. 1Open the mouth wide with light lip rounding.
  2. 2Tongue low and pulled back.
  3. 3Quick and open: "o" as in "dog" (British).

⚠ The most common mistake

American speakers use "ah" here — that is standard; learners mixing both systems inside one word is the real error.

Especially tricky for speakers of: Arabic, Hindi.

Practice: Record & Compare

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

Practice words with /ɒ/

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

More short vowels

See all 44 sounds of English →