This is a short instructor-led pronunciation lesson (YouTube video) by Hadar Shemesh focused on the long O diphthong (as in 'go'). The instructor explains the articulatory shape (jaw drops, lips relax then round, back of tongue high) and models moving from an open vowel toward a rounded /u/-like target. A practical correction is offered: add a slight /w/ or /u/ glide after O to avoid dropping the second element (e.g., pronounce 'hotel' as 'ho-w-tel', 'only' as 'o-w-nly', 'won't' as 'wo-nt'). The video includes many example words and short practice sentences and ends with a viewer challenge to post O-word sentences in the comments.
Chapters
Hey, everyone, it's practice time with Hadar. Today we are going to practice the long O as in go. I love this diphthong because it is easy to make and it usually makes a big impact on your speech once you start using it. If you don't use it now, the O's and go starts with a relaxed sound. The jaw is dropped. The lips are relaxed just a bit. The back of the tongue is high in the back O. And then it changes and the sound moves towards the sound. Now, I want you to think as if we're starting with an sound and ending with a pure oo sound. Even though it's not exactly the right sound in English, it is good enough if you use those sounds, if you have them in your language. O O. We can find the sound in words like go, show low. Do it with me. Make sure that your jaw moves from being open to being closed, that your lips move. Move from being relaxed to being pushed together. Go low. Show home. Lonely. Now, some people might just drop the second part of the sound when the O sound is at the beginning of the word. For example, instead of saying lonely, they might say lonely. Instead of saying home, you might hear home. Instead of hearing hotel, you might hear hotel. Is that you? If so, here's a little trick that can really, really help you. All you need to do is to add a W sound right after the O sound. So instead of hotel. Ho. W, W W. Right. Or an U sound. Hotel. Hotel. Instead of only. Only. O Only. Instead of want. Won't. Won't. Won't. Okay, good. So let's practice a few more words, and all I want you to think about is that W sound that you're adding. Focus Local Showtime. Homeowner. Closest. Cooperate. Explosion. Snowstorm. Snow. Snowstorm. Won't. It won't be possible. It won't happen. I won't do it. I want to go. I won't go. Okay, very good. And now it's your turn. Come up with at least three words with the O sound and put them in the comments. And if you are really courageous, come up with one sentence with as many O words as possible. Are you ready for the challenge? I bet you are waiting to see your comments right below.
