Sound pairCot or caught
A baby's bed with high sides. Say: KOT — short o.
The baby slept peacefully in her cot.
Past of catch. Say: KAWT — long aw, lips rounded.
Arjun caught the ball at the boundary.
Remember: In British English, cot is short and caught is long with round lips (like 'or'). In many American accents they sound the same.
Short lessonSound pairsSome pairs of words differ by just one sound. Practising them makes your speech clearer.