The Vowel Sound as in “Home”
Note: This is a double sound. The first resonance is identical to the above single (o) as in (Go), but for the second resonance the contact is the upper back part of mouth with widening of the tongue.
- Azores—ăz-ōrz´, not ā-zôrz´.
- brooch—brōch, not bro͝och.
- console—kŏn-sōl´.
- corps (military)—kōr; (pl.) kōrz.
- cote—(n) kōt, not kŏt.
- divorce—dĭv-ōrs´, not dĭv-ôrs´.
- homely—hōm´lĭ, not hŭm´lĭ.
- oaths—ōthz (sub-vocal) not ōths.
- sword—sōrd, not sôrd nor s-wôrd.
- won’t—(will not)—wōnt.
- yolk—yōlk or yōk, not yĕlk.
- recourse—rē-kōrs´.
- shewn—shōn.
- shew—shō.
- vaudeville—vōd´vĭl.
- von—fōn, not vŏn.
The Vowel Sound as in “Us”
Note: Tongue sags; open mouth; contact about half way back and midway between the upper and lower jaw.
- adult—a-dŭlt´, not ăd´ŭlt.
- cunning—kŭn´nĭng, not kŭn´nĭn.
- government—gŭv´ẽrn-mĕnt, not gŭv´ẽr-mĕnt.
- hundred—hŭn´drĕd, not hŭn´dẽrd.
- promulgate—prō-mŭl´gāt.
- pumice—pŭm´ĭs.
- illustrate—ĭl-lŭs´trāt, not ill´ŭ-strāt.
- mongrel—mŭng´grĕl, not mŏng´grĕl.
- muskmelon—mŭsk´mĕlŏn, not mŭsh´mĕlŏn.
- nuptial—nŭp´shal, not nūp´shal.
- pumpkin—pŭmp´kĭn, not pŭnk´ĭn.
- supple—sŭp´l, not so̅o̅´pl.
The Vowel Sound as in “Use”
Note: Tongue arched; mouth well open; contact back of upper front teeth for first resonance, then to upper back part of mouth for the second; lips well apart for the first sound and then well rounded and extended for the second with a slight sagging of the tongue. This is a double sound.
- blue—blū, not blo̅o̅.
- rude—rūd.
- rural—rū´răl, not rûr´l.
- nuisance—nū´săns, not no̅o̅´săns.
- newspaper—nūz´pā-pẽr, not nūs´pā-pẽr.
- Tuesday—Tūz´dā, not To̅o̅z´då.
- minutely—mĭ-nūt´lĭ.
- tube—tūb, not to̅o̅b nor tyub.
- tulip—tū´lĭp, not to̅o̅´lĭp.
- usually—ū´zhū-a-lĭ, not ūzh´lĭ.
- virtue—vẽrt´ū, not vẽr´cho̅o̅.
- stupid—stū´pĭd, not sto̅o̅´pŭd.
- virtually—vẽr´tū-al-lĭ, not vert´choo-li.
- virulent—vĭr´yū-lĕnt.
- vituperate—vī-tū´pẽr-āt.
- ablution—ăb-lū´shŭn, not ă-blo̅o̅´shŭn.