How to pronounce The SAW Vowel /ɔ/ in American English

Q: Why do some Americans pronounce "caught" and "cot" the same way?

Millions of Americans have the cot-caught merger. They've dropped the rounded /ɔ/ entirely and replaced it with the relaxed /ɑ/. For these speakers, dawn sounds exactly like Don and caught sounds identical to cot . The merger is the default in the West and Midwest; the East Coast tends to keep the two sounds distinct. Either way is standard. Use whichever is easier for you.

Q: How is the /ɔ/ vowel in "law" different from the O in "low"?

Low /oʊ/ is a moving target; law /ɔ/ stays still. In low or boat , the lips start rounded and close tighter into a small W-shape at the end. In law or boss , the jaw stays dropped and the lips hold one steady slightly-flared position the whole time. Move the lips while saying saw and it accidentally sounds like so .

One of the most common vowels in American English. Hear it in law, saw, raw, jaw.

IPA /ɔ/ Respell aw Category Vowel

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The /ɔ/ vowel, the saw sound, is the deep, slightly rounded vowel American English uses for words like law, dog, boss, and caught. To make it, drop your jaw moderately, shift your tongue back so the tip hangs free, and flare your lips forward slightly. In fact, millions of Americans don't use this sound at all. Because of the cot-caught merger, millions of American speakers pronounce saw exactly like the ah /ɑ/ vowel. Both versions are perfectly standard.

How to make it

Three small adjustments.

Get them right and the sound takes care of itself.

Drop your jaw moderately and flare your lips slightly. Shift your tongue back so the tip hangs free.

Mouth shape

/ɔ/ as in law

Jaw

Drops noticeably.

Tongue

Shifts back. The tip hangs free and doesn't touch anything.

Lips

Flare forward. Drawing the lips forward pulls the cheeks slightly inward.

Quick tips

Two things to remember.

Think of flaring the lips forward and letting the cheeks pull slightly inward to differentiate from AH.

Because most American speakers (especially in the West and Midwest) pronounce AW /ɔ/ and AH /ɑ/ identically, you will often hear 'aw' words pronounced like 'ah'. This is called the cot-caught merger, and both pronunciations are standard.

Easy to confuse

Compare with similar sounds.

If your sound is sliding into a neighbor, here's how to tell them apart.

/ɔ/ vs /ɑ/

FATHER Vowel

In AH (/ɑ/), the jaw drops low and the lips are completely relaxed. In AW (/ɔ/), the jaw is slightly higher and the lips flare forward. Examples: AW (/ɔ/): saw, law vs AH (/ɑ/): father.

Hear it in words

15 everyday words.

Tap any word for its full breakdown — every reduction, every flap-T.

Hear it in sentences

In real conversation.

5 short sentences where this sound shows up. Tap to play; click the title for the full breakdown.

I thought I saw a flaw in the tall wall.

ahy THAHT ahy SAH uh FLAH ihn dhuh TAHL WAHL.

She saw her daughter draw a tall building.

shee SAH her DAH·der DRAH uh TAHL BIHL·duhng.

Paul bought a small ball at the mall for the dog.

PAHL BAHT uh SMAHL BAHL uht dhuh MAHL fer dhuh DAHG.

The ball bounced off the concrete wall.

dhuh BAHL BOWNST AHF dhuh KAHN·kreet WAHL.

The tall man fell against the small wall.

dhuh TAHL MAN FEHL uh·GEHNST dhuh SMAHL WAHL.

FAQ

Common questions about /ɔ/.

What's the best way to make the /ɔ/ vowel?

Drop your jaw moderately and flare your lips forward just a bit. Think about flaring your lips and letting your cheeks pull slightly inward, which creates that rounded, hollow resonance. Inside your mouth, pull your tongue back so the tip hangs totally free, not touching your teeth. If your lips are completely relaxed and flat, you'll end up making the pure ah /ɑ/ sound instead of the rounded aw /ɔ/.

Why do some Americans pronounce "caught" and "cot" the same way?

Millions of Americans have the cot-caught merger. They've dropped the rounded /ɔ/ entirely and replaced it with the relaxed /ɑ/. For these speakers, dawn sounds exactly like Don and caught sounds identical to cot. The merger is the default in the West and Midwest; the East Coast tends to keep the two sounds distinct. Either way is standard. Use whichever is easier for you.

How is the /ɔ/ vowel in "law" different from the O in "low"?

Low /oʊ/ is a moving target; law /ɔ/ stays still. In low or boat, the lips start rounded and close tighter into a small W-shape at the end. In law or boss, the jaw stays dropped and the lips hold one steady slightly-flared position the whole time. Move the lips while saying saw and it accidentally sounds like so.