UNIT 1 Chapter 1 Lesson 2 /ɑ/

LESSON 2 /ɑ/

COMMON SPELLING PATTERNS  

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

o                                 pot, obvious, honest

a                                  calm, palm, spa

Source: (Mojsin, 2016)

HOW TO PRONOUNCE /ɑ/

  1. Open your mouth but not rounded
  2. Imagine you are yawning
  3. The back part of your tongue moves down
  4. The sound is similar to (ア)

英語耳 p.62

COMMON JAPANESE MISTAKE

Students usually pronounce this sound as /ɔ/ (オ).

MINIMAL PAIRS /ɑ/ /ɔ/

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.
Read and listen to the differences between /ɑ/ and /ɔ/. 
Test your listening skill by asking someone to RANDOMLY read a word and try to guess which word was read.
/ɑ/ /ɔ/
stock /stɑ:k/ stalk /stɔ:k/
odd /ɑ:d/ awed /ɔ:d/
cot /kɑ:t/ caught /kɔ:t/
bot /bɑ:t/ bought /bɔ:t/

LET US PRACTICE /ɑ/

Practice pronouncing the /ɑ/ sound using the words below. 

HOW TO PRACTICE

  1. LISTEN to the audio file.
  2. COPY how the words are pronounced.
  3. SLOWLY read the words.
  4. LOOK at your mouth and tongue movement using a MIRROR.
  5. ALWAYS practice.
TWO-SYLLABLE WORDS /ɑ/
Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

Initial

  1. ostrich

/ɑ́:stritʃ/

  1. olive

/ɑ́:liv/

  1. object

/ɑ́:bdʒekt/

Medial

  1. dollar

/dɑ́:lɚ/

  1. modern

/mɑ́:dɚn/

  1. waffle

/wɑ́:fl/

THREE-SYLLABLE WORDS /ɑ/
Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

Initial

  1. occupied

/ɑ́:kjupaid /

  1. octopus

/ɑ́:ktəpəs/

  1. Oliver

/ɑ́:livɚ/

Medial

  1. apricot

/ǽprikɑ:t/

  1. hospital

/hɑ́:spitl/

  1. tolerate

/tɑ́:ləreit/

LET US PHRASE IT

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.
  1. odd box

/ɑ́:d bɑ́:ks/

  1. a hot pot

/ ə hɑ́:t pɑ́:t/

  1. do not hop

/du nɑ́:t hɑ́:p/

  1. modern object

/mɑ́:dɚn ɑ́:bdʒekt/

TONGUE TWISTER

Highlight and click the word to listen to its pronunciation or click the play button to listen to all the words.

Last October, Bob bought a bat, a bot and an olive-printed pot

/ lǽst ɑ́:ktoubɚ bɑ́:b bɔ́t ə bǽt ə bɑ́:t  ənd ən ɑ́:liv príntid pɑ́:t/

Click here to download ALL the AUDIO FILES for Chapter 1