Pronuncian Lessons
American English oi sound and ow sound pronunciation
The diphthongs (vowel sounds that also include a w sound or a y sound) oi sound and ow sound are easier to distinguish than the long vowel diphthongs because the y sound or w sound at the end of them is more pronounced and distinct. The biggest problem non-native speakers have with these diphthong sounds is not fully pronouncing them.
The oi sound can also be spelled oy. The vowel sound is the same in the words soil and soy.
The ow sound can also be spelled ou. The vowel sound is the same in the words how and house. The ow spelling can cause problems because it is the same as a common long o spelling (like the word snow). Therefore, it is necessary to memorize which pronunciation to use for high-frequency words and to refer to a dictionary for the pronunciation of lower-frequency words.
Practice:
oi sound practice word list
ow sound practice word list
long o sound practice word list
Go to:
Introduction to Other Vowels lesson
Introduction to Vowels lesson
Introduction to Long Vowels lesson (to review long vowel diphthongs)