The ‘a’ in ‘swAp’ is pronounced like the ‘o’ in ‘hOt’, same for ‘swAllow’, ‘squad’, ‘squat’

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The words ‘swap’, ‘squad’, ‘swallow’, and ‘squat’ all share a similar vowel sound in the middle, pronounced like the “o” in “hot”.

This sound is known as the short “o” sound, represented by the symbol /ɒ/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). When spoken, these words all feature this vowel sound, making them sound alike despite their different meanings.

The reason these words sound similar is that they use the same internal vowel sound. This /ɒ/ sound is the same as the one heard in words like pot or dog in British English. It’s a short, sharp sound, which makes these words relatively easy to group together based on their pronunciation.

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However, pronunciation can differ depending on the accent. In British English, particularly in Received Pronunciation (RP), the /ɒ/ sound is clear and distinct.

But in American English, the same vowel might be pronounced differently, often with a broader /ɑ/ sound, like the “a” in father. So, while these words will still sound similar, their vowel sounds might shift depending on the speaker’s accent.

To pronounce these words correctly, start with the consonant sounds at the beginning of each word. For swap, say “sw” like in **sweet, followed by the short “o” sound, and finish with the “p” sound.

Squad follows a similar pattern: start with “sq” like in *squash, then say the /ɒ/ sound, and end with the “d” sound.

Swallow is slightly different because it has two syllables. Begin with “sw”, then pronounce the middle vowel sound, followed by “low” as in *below.

Finally, for squat, start with “sq”, followed by the /ɒ/ sound, and end with the “t” sound.