Pinyin final: "o3"

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Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

1. Relax your jaw and let it drop a little (more open than for “oh”).
2. Lips: make a small, gentle round shape—like you’re about to say “aw,” not a tight “oo.”
3. Tongue: keep it low and relaxed, sitting flat in the mouth (don’t pull it back hard).
4. Make one steady vowel: hold a single “aw”-like sound—do not slide toward “oh” or “oo.”
5. Add the 3rd tone shape (˧˩˧): start mid, dip down, then rise again. Keep the mouth shape basically the same while the pitch changes.

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English Approximation (2–3 words)

These are closest matches for many American English speakers; focus on the vowel part in bold.

• law (focus on the “aw”)
• call (focus on the vowel in “call”)
• thought (for speakers who pronounce it like “thawt”)

How to modify the English sound to match Mandarin “o”: - Say the “aw” in “law,” then freeze it—keep it as a single pure vowel. - Do not add the common English movement that turns it into something like “oh/owe.” - Then apply the 3rd tone dip-rise on that frozen vowel.

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Common Mistakes (English speakers)

• Turning it into “oh” (like “go”): English “oh” usually glides; Mandarin o here should feel more like “aw” and more stable.
• Over-rounding the lips into “oo” (like “food”): the lips are rounded, but not tightly puckered.
• Changing the vowel while doing the tone: keep the vowel quality steady; only the pitch dips and rises.
• For -uo syllables (bo3, duo3, guo3, etc.): adding an extra syllable like “boo-oh” or “doo-oh.” It should be one syllable, not two.

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Practice Pairs (visualizing the target)

Pinyin (3rd tone)	Closest English cue	What to copy
o3	“aw” (as in law)	Pure “aw” vowel + dip-rise tone
wo3	“waw” (approx. like saying “wow” but with aw)	Start with w, then a stable “aw”
bo3	“baw” (as in “bah!”)	Light b + “aw” (one syllable)
duo3	“dwaw” (approx.)	Quick d then “waw” in one beat
guo3	“gwaw” (approx.)	Back g then “waw” smoothly
suo3	“swaw” (approx.)	s then “waw,” keep it flowing
cuo3	“ts + waw” (approx.)	A crisp “ts” then “waw” (one syllable)
huo3	“hwaw” (approx.)	Breathier h then “waw,” no extra vowel

Note: The English cues are approximations meant to guide your mouth shape. The key is the stable “aw”-like vowel plus the 3rd tone.

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Comparisons & Caveats (similar sounds to watch out for)

A) o3 vs -uo3 (as in bo3, duo3, guo3…)

• o3 alone is a plain open “aw”-like vowel.
• In most syllables written with -uo (bo3, po3, mo3, fo…; duo3, tuo3, nuo3, luo3; guo3, kuo…; huo3; zuo3, cuo3, suo3), you typically hear a quick “w” element before the same “o” vowel: it’s like w + o, but still one syllable.
• Don’t separate it into two beats (“doo–oh”). Aim for one smooth unit: d(w)o.

B) o (this sound) vs ou (as in “ou” = like “oh” with a glide)

• ou has an obvious glide (it moves toward a “oo”-like ending).
• This o should feel more open and more “aw,” with little to no glide.

C) o vs e (the Mandarin “e” sound)

• Mandarin e is usually less rounded and often sounds more “uh/err”-like depending on context.
• This o is rounder and more “aw”-like.

D) Tone warning for 3rd tone in real speech

• In careful practice, do the full dip-rise.
• In faster conversation, 3rd tone is often shortened (it may sound more like a low dip). For textbook practice, keep the full shape first so your base pronunciation stays accurate.