or/ɔr/
Start with the 'aw' jaw drop and rounded lips. Pull the tongue back and up while keeping the lips rounded for the R.
How to pronounce or in American English
or
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Americans pronounce or as or (/ɔr/). You'll hear it in sentences like "Is his name Jon or John?" or "Do you want juice or milk?" — more examples below.
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Sound by sound
Every sound in "or".
1 syllable, 1 sound. Explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.
In real conversation
Hear "or" in the wild.
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"Are we having chicken or pasta for dinner?"
ar wee HA·vuhng CHIH·kuhn or PAH·stuh fer DIH·ner
"Discrimination based on race or gender is strictly prohibited."
dih·skrih·muh·NAY·shuhn BAYST ahn RAYS or JEHN·der ihz STRIHKT·lee proh·HIH·buh·tuhd
"Do you want juice or milk?"
duh yuh WAHNT JOOS er MIHLK
"Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed."
EH·ner·jee KA·naht bee kree·AY·duhd or duh·STROYD OHN·lee trans·FORMD
"I can't tell if you said fifteen or fifty."
ahy KANT TEHL ihf yoo sehd fihf·TEEN er FIHF·tee
"I criticize the piece for lacking emotional depth or meaning."
ahy KRIH·duh·sahyz dhuh PEES fer LA·kuhng ih·MOH·shuh·nuhl dehpth or MEE·nuhng
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Watch out
Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
01
Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.
Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.
… (no R)→… r (curl the tongue)
Questions
Questions people ask about this.
How do I pronounce the R in "or"?
Americans use a relaxed retroflex R: the tongue curls back rather than rolling, and the R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it — not two separate sounds. Don't try to pronounce a separate vowel followed by a separate R. Treat them as a single shape.
Is the American pronunciation of "or" different from British English?
American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "or" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.
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