"coal" in phonetically

[lolalotta]

My DD in reception brought a book home about trains. We came across the word "coal", is that one of those tricky words she just has to learn? The oa in the middle doesn't sound like the oa digraph in "boat" for instance?

But people do always find the accent thing fascinating

I think I say it the same as you, OP. Cold, coal, old, bowl- they all have the same vowel sound to me and it's definitely not the 'oa' in boat. I say a hint of a 'w' e.g. c-oh-w-l.

As pps say, I would just say that ''oa' represents ''oa' in boat, but in coal it represents ..... whatever you would say!

No Maizie: HQ 'told me off' but invited me to write the review of it. I also got suspended once, and accused of 'trolling'; but eventually was reinstated, and was told there had been a misunderstanding!

Exciting stuff!

Perhaps u are confused by the spelling?
'Coal' would have the same sound if spelt 'cole', as in 'mole, dole, stole'.

Vowel sounds can also be affected by the consonants next to them.
Many people think that the long oo sound in 'room' and 'loom' is not identical.

Maybe that's why u hear a slightly different oa/o-e sound in 'coal' and 'boat', Lolalotta?

No rude words in your lists today then, Masha?

How can the oo in room be different to loom??

How can the oo in room be different to loom??

Some people say 'room' with the same sound for the 'oo' that they would say in 'look' (that is assuming that they don't have an accent like my local one where the 'oo's in look, cook, book and hook can all be pronounced as the 'oo' in 'moon').

Oh yes, I suppose they can! It's so ingrained in my head that I can only hear it in my accent

Eats mids here and I say coal in the same way as in that cambridge link so the oal bit sounds like the beginning of the word "old"

Boat rhymes with coat and goat

Completely different in my world

its the final sound that makes them rhyme which has nothing to do with the /oa/

how about coal, bowl, hole?

Does "coal" almost rhyme with "Noel"?

not close the way I pronounce them

Here in Mackemland is cowal, bowal, howal. Not tricky words for us

Coal, bowl, hole all the same. Not the same as in coat, grow or home.

I can't think of a word where the sound isn't immediately followed by /l/. Not that I think masha has the right reason for why that is.

The th sound on the jolly phonics app sounds bizzare to me - sounds like it's pronounced 'vvvv'

In Ireland we don't pronounce the 'h' part - of 'th' words

DS keep hearing the English accent version on the app and pronouncing it like 'vvvvv' - but it doesn't sound right in our accent. I'm trying to get him to pronounce 'th' more like 'd'

This is really interesting - as I think regional accents have a part to play in learning phonics (and its a bit of a pet interest of mine). I agree that the oa boat and cole don't sound the same (in my accent), but suspect they might for my DH (boy, it's going to be an interesting evening in our house!). I think this is related to my use of 'l' in words - I'm originally from Bristol, and while I don't have a particularly strong accent, there are various letters/sounds that catch me out and it's mainly things with an r or l in them. I notice a few of the people who've said they pronounce it 'coawl' are from Midlands/West/Wales. Might be a pattern?