American English Pronunciation: How to Pronounce OO, OH, and OW 

If you've been speaking English for years but still have a noticeable foreign accent, the way you pronounce certain American English vowel sounds might be part of the reason.

Three sounds I frequently work on with my clients are OO /u/, OH /oʊ/, and OW /aʊ/.

While many languages have similar vowel sounds, the way you move your tongue and lips to produce them can be quite different from what you're used to doing in your native language.

One of the biggest differences I notice when working with non-native English speakers is how quickly they move their lips when starting these sounds and how much tension they use in their lip muscles.

In American English, these vowels involve a particular sequence of movements: you move your tongue first and then bring your lips into the movement.

Let's break down each vowel, look at some common pronunciation mistakes, and practice some frequently used American English words.

1. How to Pronounce the American OO Sound /u/

Let's start with the OO sound, as in:

• Do

• New

• Who

• Use

• Soon

• Include

• Solution

• Opportunity

To pronounce the American /u/ vowel, the middle of your tongue needs to arch upward and move backward.

The important part is that your tongue moves before your lips.

Instead of immediately rounding your lips and pushing them forward when you start the sound, begin by moving your tongue into position while keeping your lips relatively still.

Then, as you continue the sound, gradually bring your lips closer together.

Common Mistakes When Pronouncing the OO Sound

There are three common mistakes I want you to avoid.

Mistake #1: Moving your lips immediately.

When you start the OO sound, you might instinctively round your lips right away.

However, this creates a different movement pattern from the one we're working toward in American English.

Instead, start the sound with your tongue and introduce the lip movement afterward.

Mistake #2: Tightening your lips and pushing them forward.

You don't need to squeeze your lips together or push them far in front of your face.

Your upper lip, lower lip, and cheek muscles should remain very relaxed.

When your lips do move toward each other, the movement should be small and light. Think of your lips almost floating toward each other rather than tightening.

The movement is also more up and down than forward.

Keep a little space between your teeth throughout the movement. Your jaw doesn't need to close as your lips come closer together.

Mistake #3: Not bringing your lips close enough at the end.

Although your lips should remain relaxed, they do need to get quite close to each other by the end of the vowel.

In fact, they should get close enough that you could transition directly into a W sound.

This is particularly important in words such as:

• February

• Fuel

• Annual

• Manual

• Casual

In these words, the OO sound transitions naturally into a W-like movement.

Remember: move your tongue first, then bring your relaxed lips closer together.

2. How to Pronounce the American OH Sound /oʊ/

The American OH sound follows a very similar pattern.

You'll hear it in words such as:

• So

• Low

• No

• Most

• Focus

• Video

• Photo

• Growth

For this vowel, the middle of your tongue initially makes a small movement upward and backward.

Your lips don't need to move immediately.

Then, toward the end of the sound, your tongue moves a little higher and your lips come closer together.

Think of it as two movements happening in sequence:

1. Your tongue moves slightly up and back.

2. Your lips move closer together while your tongue moves a little higher.

Your lips should start relatively open and finish very close together, almost as if you're creating a small W-like shape.

Again, avoid tightening your lips or pushing them forward excessively.

The movement should be subtle and relaxed.

Practice These American OH Words

Try the following words, paying close attention to the order of your tongue and lip movements:

• So

• Low

• No

• Most

• Focus

• Video

• Photo

• Growth

Don't rush through the words. Start by practicing the vowel itself, then incorporate it into the complete word.

If you're used to moving your lips immediately, this new sequence might feel unfamiliar at first. That's completely normal. You're training your muscles to move in a different way.

3. How to Pronounce the American OW Sound /aʊ/

The OW sound is similar to the previous two vowels, but there's one important difference at the beginning.

You'll hear it in words such as:

• How

• Down

• Loud

• Without

• Account

• Announce

To start this vowel, the middle of your tongue moves significantly downward while your mouth opens wider.

Then, as you continue the sound, your tongue moves upward and backward, and your lips gradually come closer together.

The sequence looks like this:

1. Start with your mouth relatively open and your tongue positioned lower.

2. Move your tongue upward and backward.

3. Bring your lips closer together toward the end of the sound.

Notice that your lips don't need to move immediately when you start the vowel.

Just like with OO and OH, the tongue leads the movement, and the lips follow.

Practice These American OW Words

Try the following:

• How

• Down

• Loud

• Without

• Account

• Announce

Pay particular attention to how open your mouth is at the beginning compared to how close your lips get toward the end.

The difference between those two positions is an important part of producing this vowel accurately.

4. Why Your Mouth Movements Matter in American English Pronunciation

You might be wondering why I'm spending so much time talking about your lips when we're practicing vowel pronunciation.

Here's why: the way you move your mouth muscles directly affects the sounds you produce and, ultimately, the accent you have.

Knowing which vowel you're supposed to pronounce isn't enough.

You also need to understand how to physically produce it.

For these three vowels, I want you to pay attention to four things:

• Tongue position: Your tongue needs to move into the correct position before your lips become involved.

• Movement sequence: Start with the tongue, then introduce the lip movement.

• Lip tension: Keep your upper lip, lower lip, and cheek muscles relaxed.

• Lip movement: Avoid pushing your lips too far forward or squeezing them together. Instead, use small, controlled movements toward each other.

These details might seem minor, but they can make a significant difference in how your American English sounds.

5. How to Improve Your American English Pronunciation Through Practice

One thing I want you to understand is that learning a new pronunciation technique and actually using it consistently in your speech are two different things.

You might be able to produce the OO, OH, and OW vowels correctly when practicing individual words, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll use the same movements when speaking spontaneously.

That's why repetition and consistent practice are so important.

Here's what I recommend:

Step 1: Practice the individual vowel sounds.

Start with OO, OH, and OW separately. Pay attention to your tongue position and make sure you're moving your tongue before your lips.

Step 2: Practice common words.

Work through the word lists in this article. Start slowly and focus on producing the correct movements rather than speaking quickly.

Step 3: Pay attention to your mouth movements.

Don't just listen to how your pronunciation sounds. Pay attention to what your tongue and lips are actually doing.

Recording yourself and watching your mouth movements can help you identify habits you might not notice otherwise.

Step 4: Incorporate the sounds into everyday speech.

Once you become more comfortable with the movements, start paying attention to these vowels in conversations, presentations, meetings, and other situations where you use English.

The goal is to make these new movements consistent enough that you no longer have to consciously think about every word.

Want to Develop a More Natural American Accent?

If you're a non-native English-speaking professional who wants to develop a more natural American accent, working on individual pronunciation habits is an important place to start.

But there's more to it than simply learning how to pronounce individual sounds.

You need to retrain the muscles in your tongue and mouth, understand how to articulate American vowels and consonants, recognize the differences between your native language and American English, and learn how to use these sounds consistently in everyday speech.

That's exactly what I work on with my private American accent coaching clients.

I'm Mary El, an American accent coach, and I work one-on-one with non-native English-speaking professionals through structured 3- and 6-month coaching programs.

Together, we identify what's holding you back from developing a more natural American accent and build a customized training plan around your pronunciation needs.

My programs include weekly private coaching sessions, targeted practice assignments, and access to hundreds of video lessons and exercises.

Ready to work on your American accent?

Explore my private American accent coaching programs and schedule a free 25-minute consultation with me.

I'd love to hear about your goals and discuss how we can work together!