THOUGHT /y>/
Make the sound
®
DVD
Vowel grid reference: 7
This vowel is long.
1 Relax your tongue and allow the tip to rest just behind your bottom front teeth.
2 The back of the tongue is high, but not as high as for the GOOSE vowel (page 72).
126
ft
127-129
When do I use this sound?
Spelling	Examples
or	sport, north
al	walking, chalk, tall
ou	bought, source, thoughtful
au	caution, naughty
aw	law, paw
Now try it!
Say each of these words and sentences aloud. Then compare your pronunciation with the model on tracks 127-129.
ball foice talking caught spoit        August four
awe course resource        thought shoit        taught walk
1 He thought she caught the four forty train, but she boarded the fourteen forty.
2 She's awfully sporty, and spends all her time on the netball court.
3 The autumn ball was awesome, and not as boring as Paul had thought.
76
Work on your Accent THOUGHT
C Horses
Horses are adorable animals. They are very strong and have been relied upon to support people throughout history. They have been Important in farming, policing, and even warfare, but perhaps most often in sport. You can visit a racecourse to watch horses that have been taught to respond to commands racing in front of an enormous audience. People often place bets on which horse will win (if they can afford it). I would have more fun riding a horse along the seashore, or riding one to go walking in the forest. I can't think of anything more awesome than exploring the world on four legs!
130
Am I doing something wrong?
X   Making a diphthong by trying to pronounce the other letter in the spelling.
S Ignore the spelling, and don't allow the articulators to move on this vowel sound.
Record yourself making an /d:/ and play it back. Is the vowel a smooth single sound, or is there a slight change?
It is common for this sound to be swapped specifically with the diphthong /3U/, as in GOAT. Refer to /au/ (see page 81) and then compare the words below:
goat-thought goat-thought goat-thought
boat-taught boat-taught boat-taught
X   Making the same vowel sound in the words THOUGHT and LOT.
S The /d:/ vowel is long with lips very rounded, whilst the /d/ vowel is short, with less rounded lips.
Watch the DVD to see and hear the difference between /d:/ and /d/.
First, check your lip position for both vowels using the Vowel positioning diagram (page 53). Ensure you have a clear lip shape change. Feel the tongue raise and lower slightly.
Now try these exercises:
1 Using a mirror, alternate between the two sounds: awwww-o-awwww-o-awwww-o-awwww-o-awwww-o
3:    d     d:    d     3:    d    d:    d     d: d
2 Now try swapping between some words which have the sounds, like THOUGHT and LOT or: bought-hot bought-hot bought-hot
flaw-got flaw-got flaw-got
3 The following sentence contains both /d:/ vowel sounds (in CAPITALS) and /d/ vowel sounds (in italics). Say the sentence, and compare the two.
Tom thOUght his hot toffee sAUce and chocolate shORtbread were Awesome, and not at All nAUghty.
X   Rounding the lips too much and making a very tight vowel sound.
Look In a mirror and ensure you are making the appropriate shape. Use the photo on page 76, and watch the DVD again.
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