CHAPTER 25

Using au and aw

These two syllables are similar in sound and could cause confusion. This is because the w in many of

these words is being used in place of the u as an auxiliary vowel. But the spelling rules that govern au
and aw are quite clear. They usually produce the or sound, as in order, door, ball, raw, but there are
exceptions.

Spelling rule #1: The au spelling is used at the beginning or in the middle of a word. It is usually
found in a closed syllable.

(^) The au spelling does not appear at the end of words except for a handful of exotic words which are
mostly French and have an o sound or an ow sound.
(^) Spelling rule#2: The aw spelling is used at the end of a word or syllable:
(^) The aw spelling occasionally appears before a final n or l:
(^) Exceptions are bawd and bawdy.
Note that many aw words were originally spelled with a u.
(^) Note that shawl is from the Persian word shal and yawl is from the Dutch word jol.
Fewer than a dozen words begin with aw:
(^) Note that awe is the only commonly used word in this group that uses the silent e.
Historical footnote: The ancient Celts used the w much as we use the u, and the spelling still exists in
modern Welsh. For example, cwm is a word that means a small valley. Although cwm is the only word of
its type left in our dictionaries, it is quite popular in Welsh place names, and its English variation, combe,
is very common in England.