Mame wrote:I don't notice any difference in the sounds of mole and bowl and tow and bow and roe etc... They are all a long O sound
Sorry deb - I think it's your accent. Or maybe it's mine!
It's subtle....
I just practiced saying mole and tow, elongating the "o" and observing how my mouth was making the 2 sounds.
With mole, my tongue is postioned in the bottom of my mouth. The tip and sides of my tongue near the tip are touch my mouth well below the tooth line. The sides of my tongue behind the tip are level with the tooth/gumline of my back molars.
When I say tow, my tongue is higher. The tip is right at the bottom of my tooth/gum line behind my front bottom teeth. In addition, the sides of my tongue are level with the sides of my molars.
There's a cereal named "Malto Meal"
When I say Malto my tongue kinda does the same thing with the "malt" part....except with with the word malt my mouth is opened a little wider, and my tongue is flattened more.
Saying malt and mole....with mole, the tongue is not flattened, more tubular, and the mouth is shaped more like an "O"....a little like you're getting ready to give your favorite aunt a kiss.
Again, in the NE accent I grew up with...I'd have said the word "malt" with the even more extreme kissy shape to my mouth when saying "mole".
The word "mole" would have extended my lips out to kiss my aunt, but this a steady "oooo" sound, like in "oooooom".....Malt would sound like I was also trying to make the "mwah" kissing sound too.
