Adult Reading Lessons: Alphabet Letter O

Adult learners use this page to explore the sounds each alphabet letter can make. Using IPA symbols helps prepare learners for using a dictionary. Word drills provide structured reading practice using lists of words grouped by sound and take learners on the next step in their reading journey.

Goal: recognize and name the letter O; hear each distinct sound letter O makes; voice those sounds.

We have a lot of ground to cover with letter O. So, okay. Let's go!

Introducing O sounds

Click, Listen, and Repeat

Name IPA Symbol Examples
Short O as in lot:
- 		, , ,.
Long O as in dote:
- 		, , .
Double OO sound as in book:
- 		, , .

Two+ voiced vowels.

Name IPA Symbol Examples
Double Vowel Owl as in owl:
- 		, , , .
Double Vowel
A with L + short I		 as in oil:
- 		, , .

O can sound like other vowels.

Name IPA Symbol Examples
Like Short U as in love:
- 		, , .
Like Long U as in do:
- 		, , .

Rhyming O Words

Click, listen and learn these O sounds by finding rhyming words.

O and U are best friends

They often stand in for one another.

  • O as short U: love, dove, and glove.
  • O as long U: to, do, move, prove, and boot.
  • U as double OO sound: put, push, and full.

In such cases, memory serves best.

Sometimes vowels are not at all friendly and do not blend. In such cases, two vowel sounds are voiced as in bias, oil, joy, duo, duel, owl, and million.

Snow-flakes

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)


Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.

Fill out the table below. Hover the mouse to see the answers.

short o long o o with r like short u like long u double oo double vowel
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bosom, cloud, soft
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folds, over, slow, snow
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forsaken
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of
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bosom
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woodlands
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Out, brown