low · law · lawn
Diphthong /loʊ/ vs long /lɔː/ vs long+nasal /lɔːn/ — three words that sound deceptively similar.
Three words, two distinct vowels. low has a diphthong /oʊ/ — the vowel moves and glides. law and lawn share the same long vowel /ɔː/ — steady and sustained. The only difference between law and lawn is the nasal /n/ at the end.
rhymes with go, show, mow — the vowel moves and glides
mouth shape
diphthong — lips start rounded, glide forward and close — like 'go' or 'show'
low
/loʊ/
vowel length
rhymes with draw, saw, paw — a pure long vowel, no glide
mouth shape
long, sustained /ɔː/ — lips round and jaw drops, hold it steady — like 'draw' or 'saw'
law
/lɔː/
vowel length
law + /n/ at the end — the vowel is identical to 'law'
mouth shape
same /lɔː/ as law, then add a nasal /n/ — let air flow through your nose at the end
lawn
/lɔːn/
vowel length
Key difference
low /loʊ/: diphthong — the vowel glides from /o/ toward /ʊ/ — like go, show. law /lɔː/: pure long vowel — lips round, jaw drops, hold it steady — like draw, saw. lawn /lɔːn/: identical vowel to law — just add a nasal /n/ at the end.
Example sentences
low:“Keep a low profile — don’t draw attention.”
law:“You must obey the law.”
lawn:“The children played on the lawn.”
Hear it in a sentence
“The pilot kept the plane flying low over the valley.”
“She studied law at university before switching to journalism.”
“He mowed the lawn every Saturday morning without fail.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
low
Hear native speakers say “low” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
law
Hear native speakers say “law” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
lawn
Hear native speakers say “lawn” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
low family ▸
law family ▸
lawn family ▸
Comments
Comments are reviewed before they appear publicly.