Pronunciation question
Goat vs Goal
The diphthong /oʊ/ in the two words sounds different to me. I couldn’t clearly hear /oʊ/ in goal which sounds more like a /ɡɔɫ/ instead of /ɡoʊɫ/.
In goat, /oʊ/ is pronounced as a diphthong where there is a clear transition from /o/ to /ʊ/, while in goal, it sounds to me there is no transition. I wonder if it’s because of /ɫ/.
Can someone give me some tips on how to pronounce goal, coal, soul, hole, whole which all contain /oʊɫ/?

Question

Pronunciation question
Goat vs Goal
The diphthong /oʊ/ in the two words sounds different to me. I couldn’t clearly hear /oʊ/ in goal which sounds more like a /ɡɔɫ/ instead of /ɡoʊɫ/. 
In goat, /oʊ/ is pronounced as a diphthong where there is a clear transition from /o/ to /ʊ/, while in goal, it sounds to me there is no transition. I wonder if it’s because of /ɫ/. 
Can someone give me some tips on how to pronounce goal, coal, soul, hole, whole which all contain /oʊɫ/?

Answer

You should specify what sort of accent you'd most like to acheive.  The pronunciation can vary.  For example, I think of them as both the same, except for the final consonant, but I've heard other people from other parts of the US make 'goal' more like two syllables, i.e.   GO-WUL

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!