Minimal Pairs: /ɑ/ & /oʊ/

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Pronunciation Practice

Practice pronunciation with your tutor by reading the following words.

/ɑ/ & /oʊ/

cost

Noun

kɑst

the amount of money needed to buy something

I need to calculate the cost of my business trip.

The total cost of the meal was around seventy euros.

He told them they needed to cut costs.

The total cost of the meal was about eighty dollars.

The cost of business travel is increasing.

coast

Noun

koʊst

an area where land meets the sea

This small city is located by the coast.

We spent the afternoon driving along the coast.

I used to live on the east coast.

There are many hotels along the coast.

comma

Noun

ˈkɑmə

a symbol used to indicate a pause in a sentence; (,)

It is important to use commas because they can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

coma

Noun

ˈkoʊmə

a long period of unconsciousness, often caused by injury or illness

The doctors could hardly believe it when he woke up from a two-year-long coma.

cop

Noun

kɑp

informal term for a police officer

The cop chased down a shoplifter and eventually arrested him.

cope

Verb

koʊp

to deal with something that is troubling or difficult

She can't cope with all her work.

He's having trouble coping with work stress.

honor

Noun

ˈɑnər

great respect, worth, fame, or a thing given to award this; privilege

He won a medal of honor in the war.

Receiving the award was such an honor for me.

This award is the highest honor that we offer to artists.

owner

Noun

ˈoʊnər

a person who possesses something

The police are looking for the car's owner.

They're new home owners.

The shop owner closely keeps track of costs and sales.

Do you know who the owner of this car is?

hop

Verb

hɑp

to move by jumping

The kids were playing in the backyard by hopping over the fence.

hope

Verb

hoʊp

to want something to happen

I hope he shows up soon.

He hopes to find a job soon.

knot

Noun

nɑt

a piece of rope tied around itself forming a tight lump or knob, used for holding something in place

Do you know how to tie a knot?

Please tie the rope in a tight knot.

note

Noun

noʊt

a short written message

She's taking notes about a patient.

She's writing herself a note before she forgets.

rob

Verb

rɑb

to steal from someone

I've just been robbed.

Someone robbed her house while she was away on holiday.

No one knew that the company was robbing its customers.

robe

Noun

roʊb

a long item of clothing, usually worn before going to bed or after taking a shower

My friend walks around his house in a robe all day.

Exercise 2

Sentence Practice

Practice pronunciation with your tutor by reading the following sentences.

How much does it cost to reach the coast by bus?
I always misspell comma. I always end up writing coma instead!
Cops need to know how to cope with stressful situations.
My grandfather is the proud owner of a medal of honor.
He just hopped on the train and hoped it was going in the right direction.
She took notes about all the different types of knots that sailors use.
He was only wearing a robe as he chased the man who tried to rob him down the street.

Exercise 3

Find the Sounds

Select the word that contains the sound listed below. There can be more than one correct answer.

Find: /ɑ/

I lost my wallet at the concert yesterday.

I wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow.

I want to watch the latest Matt Damon movie.

She won the lottery for the second time.

Find: /oʊ/

I have to get out of town because I owe some dangerous people a lot of money.

You know you can always count on me if you need a shoulder to cry on.

My girlfriend really loves tomatoes.

The huge tree casts a long shadow.

Exercise 4

Tongue Twister

Practice pronunciation with your tutor by reading the following tongue twister(s). Read each tongue twister slowly at first, then try reading it faster.

Does this shop stock shot silk shorts?

If she stops at the shop where I stop,

and if she shops at the shop where I shop,

then I shan't stop to shop at the shop

where she stops to shop.

A tree toad loved a she toad who lived in a tree.

He was a two-toed tree toad, but a three-toed toad was she.