What sound does the letter "o" produce in phonetics?

The letter "o" often produces the sound "oh," particularly in words like "go" or "no." This sound is characterized as a close-mid back rounded vowel in phonetic terms, represented as /oʊ/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This vowel sound involves rounding the lips while the body of the tongue is positioned towards the back of the mouth.

In contrast, other letter sounds may represent different phonetic qualities. For example, the "aw" sound refers typically to the /ɔ/ phoneme, as heard in words like "saw." The "ahhhhhh" sound usually represents an open vowel like /ɑ/, found in words such as "father." Lastly, the "oo" sound corresponds to the /u/ phoneme, like in "food," which is produced with a higher tongue position than "oh." Understanding these distinctions in vowel sounds is key in phonetics, as each symbol and sound corresponds to different articulatory properties.