I’d like to introduce you to the schwa — English’s most common and mysterious vowel sound! In this episode of the British Vowel Sound Masterclass, we explore what the schwa is, how it appears in unstressed syllables, and why it’s essential for smooth, natural speech. Hear how it can appear as A, E, I, O, or U, with examples at the beginning, middle, and end of words. Perfect for non-native speakers aiming to improve pronunciation, fluency, and confidence.

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https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Master the difference between the short /ɒ/ (as in what and hot) and the long /ɔː/ (as in water and talk). In this lesson, you’ll practice mouth positioning, tongue placement, and vowel length through repetition, word pairs, and tongue twisters. Perfect for sharpening your ear and improving your British English pronunciation. Exaggeration techniques included for maximum effect.

Transcript:

/ɒ/- What, hot, not, dog, lot, shop, clock, pocket, follow, hobby, What, watch, want, wallet, wash, wander,

/ɔː/- water, law, talk, walk, warm, thought, short, more, board, quarter, water, walk, talk, warm, wardrobe, warning,

(Minimal pairs 1)

hot — haaaawl,

not — nooorth,

dog — dawwwwrn,

what — waaa-ter,

cot — cooourt

(Minimal pairs 2)

what — water,

dog — talk,

watch — walk,

lot — law,

want — warm,

clock — caught,

pocket — board,

shop — short,

follow — fall,

wander — warning,

wash – warm,

wallet – wardrobe,

quantity – quarter,

not — north

(Minimal pairs 3)

dog — dawn,

cot — court,

rot — road,

got — gore,

pop — pour,

shock — shore,

cross — coarse,

body — board,

hobby — hoard,

off — or

(Tongue Twisters)

“Tom’s small shop sold lots of hot chocolate pots.”

“Tall Paul taught four warm dogs to walk by the shore.”

“Wanda watched Walter walk past the shop with a long, warm stopwatch.”

“Short dogs got lost on the long walk to the old forest.”

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

In this episode, we break down one of English’s most confusing vowel quirks — why the letter A sounds completely different in what and water. You’ll learn how to hear and pronounce the short /ɒ/ and long /ɔː/ vowels, understand what actually changes inside the mouth, and practise with clear word pairs to sharpen your accent. Perfect for learners who want a more natural, confident British pronunciation.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274