Pronounce the letter "o" in Irish as a single vowel sound, with lips rounded but not protruded. Do not spread the lips at the beginning of the sound or you will get a faint (ay) sound before the "o". Do not contract the lips at the end of the sound or you will get an (oo) sound after the (oh).
When the "o" has a síneadh (SHEEN-uh) over it, hold the sound for a longer time than you would in English. If the "o" has no síneadh, pronounce it in the same way but do not hold the sound as long.
Compare the English word "loan" and Irish "lón" (lohn). Watch your lips in a mirror as you say "loan" very slowly, and you will see them contract for a slight (oo) sound after the (oh). Then say Irish "lón", holding the (oh) sound and going directly to the (n).
For the shorter sound, practice on: gob, obair(OH-bir), loch (lohk*), ordóg (ohr-DOHG), coróin (koh-ROH-in), focal (FOH-kuhl).
Sometimes an "o" next to an "i" and without a síneadh is not sounded but merely indicates that the consonant beside the "o" gets its broad sound. Examples: coill (kwil), poiblí(PWIB-lee).
Other combinations of "o" with vowels have various sounds that we will review later.