OR notes - balance

Notes for -or- representing /ə/

1. chorizo
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample, /ɒr/ (which is both common and acceptable).
2. collaborator
   This is not excluded together with other words ending "-or" because of the /ə/ in the third syllable.
3. corpora, corporate, corporation, and corporatism
   This sound is in the second syllable. See/ also under /ᴐ:/.
4. correlative
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription and audio sample have this vowel sound, but a common alternative is /əʊ/ (followed by /r/).
5. corroborate, corroboration, and corroborative
   This sound occurs in both "or" syllables.
6. elaborate
   The -or- syllable represents /ə/ in both the adjective (last syllable /ət/) and the verb (last syllable /eɪt/).
7. extempore
   See con amore note (exceptional "-ore" words [link to /ᴐ:/ section]).
8. for
   When unstressed. See also under /ᴐ:/.
9. forbad[e]
   For both spellings of this irregular past, the Macmillan English Dictionary gives the transcription /æ/ but gives the (same) audio sample with /eɪ/ in the second syllable. This seems to be a mistake - though it is a common one.
10. forlorn
    The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription and audio sample have this vowel (with /ə/ in the first syllable) but many speakers use /ᴐ:/ in both syllables.
11. forsake, forsaken, and forsook
    The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample uses /ᴐ:/ (a common and perfectly acceptable variant).
12. importune
    Note that in the derivative "importunate" (not listed by the Macmillan English Dictionary ) the -or- represents the sound /ᴐ:/.
13. incorporate
    This sound is in the third syllable. See also under /ᴐ:/.
14. Monsignor
    The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription and audio sample have this vowel sound, but a version with /ᴐ:/ is common (especially in a Spanish context - "Monsignor Quixote", for example).
15. neighbor
    This escapes the usual exclusion of words ending "-or" as the agent-making suffix does not work in the usual way. Whereas an actor acts and a director directs, a neighbor does not *neighb.
16. oration
    The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription and audio sample have this vowel sound, but /ɒ/ is common.
17. sorority
    This sound is in the first syllable. See also /ᴐ:/.
18. uncorroborated
    Both instances of -or- represent this sound, although /ə/ is acceptable in the second syllable. 

Notes for -or- representing /ɜ:/

1. worsted
   This is the past simple and past participle of the verb "to worst". The Macmillan English Dictionary does not list the verb "worst" ; nor does the Collins English Dictionary. The Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary lists it, but calls it "old-fashioned". The past simple of this verb is more common, I would guess, than the present, as "worsted in an argument" is a (relatively) common collocation.

Notes for -or- representing /ɒ/

1. arboriculture
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this sound in the audio sample, but the transcription has /ə/ (presumably a mistake - I have never heard it in any other context).
2. chorale
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample uses /ə/ (which is both common and acceptable).
3. forehead
   This is also sometimes pronounced with /ᴐ:/
4. forex
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample uses /ᴐ:/.
5. horrendous
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample uses /ə/.
6. hydrochloric acid
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription and audio sample have this vowel sound, but some speakers use /ᴐ:/ (reflecting its relation to "chlorine").
7. phantasmagoria
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription and audio sample have this vowel sound, but some speakers use /ᴐ:/ which the Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary identifies as the American English pronunciation - although it is common also in British English.

Notes for -or- representing /ʌ/

1. thoroughbred
   This is the sole representative of several other words that use "thorough-" as a prefix.

Notes for -or- representing no sound

1. factory
   This is included here because it is questionable whether it can be regarded as a derivative of "factor". And in that it is (if only historically) so derived, the sense of "factor" in question is largely a businessman (sic - certainly, in the 16th century [when the word was coined], a man) of the past.
   
   The Macmillan English Dictionary transcription and audio sample have this vowel sound, but a pronunciation with /ə/ is not uncommon.
2. mayor, mayoral, mayoralty, mayoress
   It is arguable whether this -or- represents no sound. Rather, the "-ayor" spelling in these words represents the sound /eə/.

Notes for -or- representing /ʊ/

1. Worcester, Worcestershire
   The Macmillan English Dictionary does not list this word, although it does list the tradename Worcester Sauce. The link is to the Collins English Dictionary.
2. worsted
   This is the noun (a sort of cloth). For the verb see under /ɜ:/.
   

Notes for -or- representing /əʊ/

1. forecastle
   This escapes the usual exclusion of "fore-" compounds because of its non-standard pronunciation. Reflecting this pronunciation (/'fǝʊksǝl/), the spelling "fo‘c‘sle" is often used.

OR notes - downpayment

Here are the notes for the letters "or" in words where they represent the sound /ɔ:/. This is the most common sound represented (in stressed syllables). In unstressed syllables, where they represent the sound /ə/, there are many words that I haven't listed, using exclusions such as these:

• words ending -or with the sense of an agent (eg actor or director, but not pallor) 
• polysyllabic words ending -ory; in words with two syllables (like dory, gory , story, or abhor)  the -or- does not represent /ə/.
• ...

Life's too short to list all these, which are both common and largely consistent; inconsistencies are covered in the Notes.

Notes for -or- representing /ɔ:/

1. chlorinated
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample uses the sound /ɒr/ – a common alternative pronunciation.
2. con amore
   This is included because - unlike most other "-ore" endings - the final "e" is sounded.
3. corpora, corporal, corporate, corporation, and corporatism
   This sound is in the first syllable. See also under /ə/.
4. corporeal
   This sound is in both the first and the second syllables.
5. corridor
   This sound is in the third syllable. See also under /ɒ/.
6. deformation
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample has /ə/ (risking a pun with defamation).
7. for
   This sound is used when the word has stress. See also under /ə/.
8. for[e]bear
   The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample has a hint of /ə/. Some speakers reserve the schwa pronunciation for the "decide against doing" sense, with /ᴐ:/ used in the sense "genealogical antecedent" .
9. forearm
   This is the sole representative of the many words that use "fore-" as a prefix.
10. forebear
    This escapes the usual exclusion of compounds in order to highlight the possible pun with "forbear" with /ə/ in the first syllable.
11. forehead
    This escapes the usual exclusion of "fore-" compounds, because it is also sometimes (but increasingly rarely) pronounced with /ɒ/. When Longfellow rhymed "forehead" with "horrid" the /ɒ/ pronunciation was much more common.
12. fortepiano
    Not in the Macmillan English Dictionary. The link is to the Collins English Dictionary
13. horseback
    This is the sole representative of the many compounds forThe Macmillan English Dictionary with the "horse-" prefix
14. incorporate and incorporated
    This sound is in the second syllable. See also under /ə/.
15. The Koran
    The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample is something between /ə/ and /ɒ/.
16. mortify
    The Macmillan English Dictionary does not have "mortify" as a headword. The link is to the Collins English Dictionary.
17. orang-utan
    The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample is something between schwa and /ɒ/.
18. oratorio
    The third syllable has this sound. See also /ɒ/.
19. organized and organizer
    The Macmillan English Dictionary does not list the -ised version but it exists.
20. orthodontics
    This is the sole representative of the many compound words that use the prefix ortho-.
21. porn
    This is an informal abbreviation of both "pornography" and a cluster of related words, not included here individually as they behave entirely predictably.
22. restorative
    The Macmillan English Dictionary has this transcription, but the audio sample uses /ɒ/, a common alternative.
23. shortbread
    This is the sole representative of other compound words that use the prefix "short".
24. spoilsport
    This is the sole representative of the many compound words that use either "sport" or "sports" as an affix.
25. stormtrooper
    This is the sole representative of many other words that use "storm" as an affix.
26. swordfish
    This is the sole representative of compound words that use either "sword"or "swords" as a prefix.
27. waterborne
    This is the sole representative of the many words that use the suffix "-borne". And as this is a productive mechanism the number is growing, and limited only by the number of suitable vehicles.