Tricky Vowel Pairs, Part 2. You know that some vowel sounds in English are tricky. It's easy to get them confused with other sounds, like the pairs in pool and pull, lack and lock, caught and coat, or cup and cop. We can improve our ability to pronounce these tricky sounds if we do three things. First, be aware of the sounds that are causing problems, and try to understand the differences between similar sounds. Next, try to listen carefully to tricky sounds, so we can tell if we're saying them correctly. Finally, keep practicing those sounds so that our pronunciation is easier for listeners to understand. Let's practice some tricky vowel sounds. First, let's practice /uw/ as in pool, and /u/ as in pull. What's the difference between these two sounds? When you say both these sounds, your tongue is high in the back of your mouth. But for /uw/, your tongue is a little higher and tenser than when you say /u/. Your lips are also rounder for /uw/ than for /u/. Feel the position of your tongue and lips when you say these two sounds, /uw/, /u/. Now, say these words and sentences with /uw/ and /u/. /uw/ should feel tenser than /u/. Pool, pull. Don't pull me into the pool! Fool, full. The book is full of foolish ideas. Who'd, hood. Who'd want that ugly hood? Luke, look. Luke looked at the pool. Next, let's practice /ae/ as in lack and /a/ as in lock. How are they different? When you say both of these sounds, your tongue is low in you mouth, and your mouth opens wider. But when you say /ae/, your tongue is pushed forward in your mouth. When you say /a/, it's towards the back. Try saying both sounds, /ae/, /a/. Now, say these words and sentences with /ae/ and /a/. Hat, hot. Packet, pocket. Sack, sock. Tap, top. I feel too hot wearing this hat. Put the packet in your pocket. They kept the socks in this sack. Don't tap the top of my head! Next, let's practice /au/, as in caught, and /ow/, as in coat. How are they different? Feel the position of your tongue when you say /au/ and /ow/. For both sounds, your tongue starts out in the same place. But when you say /au/, it stays in that same spot in the back of your mouth. When you say /ow/, your tongue moves up higher in your mouth and your lips become more round. Say the sounds, /au/, /ow/. Do you feel more movement when you say /ow/? Now, say these words and sentences with /au/ and /ow/. Caught, coat. He caught the coat when it fell. Bought, boat. The fisherman bought a boat. Walk, woke. A dog woke up and walked away. Ball, bowl. Do you want a ball or a bowl? Finally, let's practice /uh/ as in cup and /a/ as in cop. How are they different? When you say /uh/, your tongue is right in the middle of your mouth, where it is when you're relaxing and not talking. When you say /a/, your tongue is lower in your mouth. Your mouth might be more open when you say /a/ than when you say /uh/. Now, say these words and sentences with /uh/ and /a/. Cup, cop. The cop drank a cup of coffee. Duck, dock. Ducks were sitting on the dock. Nut, not. I do not like nuts. Rubber, robber. The robber wore rubber shoes. In this lesson, we've practiced some pairs of vowel sounds that are sometimes confusing. To master these and other difficult sounds, be aware of the sounds that are causing problems. Listen carefully to these tricky sounds. And keep practicing them so that your pronunciation is easier for listeners to understand.