3.4.2.1 [o], [ɔ]
This author would say that in English there is only an open o as in words like cause, all, saw and the closed o doesn't exist. However that shouldn't be a big problem. For an unknwon reason people can imitate even sounds that they don't have in their mother tongue.
closed: avô [o] = (like Rose in german)
open: avó [ɔ] = bot
Try to hear the difference.
| [o] | avô (grandfather) |  | [ɔ] | avó (grandmother) | |
If you didn't hear it in this example, you will hear it if we oppose them directly.
| [o] [ɔ][o] [ɔ][o] [ɔ][o] [ɔ][o] [ɔ] | |
We produce the closed o by rounding the lips like kissing the air. In opposite to the open o, where the chin moves downwards, in case of the closed o the chin doesn't move and the mouth remains almost closed.
If the o is in the unstressed syllable it is pronounced like a u.
| chato (langweilig) | |
| gato (Katze) | |
| rato (Augenblick) | |
| jarro (Krug) | |
(If you have problems to remember what is open and what is closed, think on open. The o in open is very similar to the open o and that is easy to remember. The open o is almost pronounced like the o in open. That's easy to remember.)
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