AccentMatch.US
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This is an AI-generated research project, still being refined. It may contain errors. Reader ratings and feedback are coming soon. How this is made

sound you swap

/ɔ/as in law

You likely carry over the Hindi long vowel ɔː that you already use in words like 'डॉक्टर', rounding your lips firmly and holding the vowel longer than Americans do, so 'law' or 'caught' can come out sounding slightly…

consensus
Lips firmly rounded and held, tongue mid, vowel sustained noticeably long, as in the Hindi vowel ऑ.
Hindi ɔː habitLips firmly rounded and held, tongue mid, vowel sustained noticeably long, as in the Hindi vowel ऑ.
Lips only lightly rounded, tongue mid-low, vowel kept short and loose, as in 'law'.
English ɔ targetLips only lightly rounded, tongue mid-low, vowel kept short and loose, as in 'law'.
Hindi ɔː is longer and more tightly rounded than the shorter, looser American ɔ in 'law' or 'caught'.

What you probably do

You likely carry over the Hindi long vowel ɔː that you already use in words like 'डॉक्टर', rounding your lips firmly and holding the vowel longer than Americans do, so 'law' or 'caught' can come out sounding slightly over-rounded or drawn out.

How natives do it

Americans round their lips only lightly, keep the tongue in a mid-low position, and often clip the vowel short — many speakers even pronounce 'caught' and 'cot' identically, letting ɔ drift toward the more open ɑ sound instead of holding a tight round shape.

Why it matters

The words stay understandable either way, so this is a minor accent marker rather than a comprehension problem, but loosening the lip rounding and shortening the vowel will make stressed syllables feel lighter and more natural, bringing your rhythm closer to General American.

Hear the difference

caught /ˈkʰɔt/
versus
cot /ˈkʰɑt/
bought /ˈbɔt/
versus
bot /ˈbɑt/

Words this touches

lawcaughttalkallwalksmall

Hindi (Modern Standard Hindi) speakers often substitute /ɔː/.

How the mouth differs

Hindi ɔː is a long, firmly rounded back vowel used consistently in words like 'डॉक्टर'. American ɔ is shorter, less tightly rounded, and for many GA speakers has merged partly with ɑ (the cot-caught merger), so the target is often laxer and more open than the Hindi model vowel.

Listen for the pattern

The word stays recognizable, but the extra lip rounding and length can make the vowel sound slightly 'heavier' or more formal than natural GA speech, contributing to a general foreign-accent impression rather than confusion.

Reader ratings and feedback are coming soon.

Sources (1)
  • Wells, J.C. (1982). Accents of English.