This example of a Spellzone 'Teaching Point' is from:

Unit 15 - Spelling the sound /ou/: ou, ow

Click on the ear to hear the sound.


    as in cloud

There are two ways of spelling the sound /ou/ :

ou and ow

There is one firm rule to help you:  Only two words use ou to spell this sound at the end of a word:

thou (old form of 'you')
miaou (sound made by a cat - also miaow)

All other words use ow to spell this sound at the end of a word.

Some helpful hints for other words:
In the middle of a word, it can be ou or ow but ou is the most common.
Before n and l, it is usually ow e.g. down, howl.
Before nd, use ou:  round, found.


This 'teaching point' is followed by word lists and practice exercises.

Close this window

Try Spellzone for free

"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill