It has 217 regular spellings as in ‘nose’ and ‘no‘, but because it also has 161 exceptions,
like ‘coal, roll, bowl‘ and ‘slow, toe, though‘, its regular pattern is severely diluted, and 27 words with o-e for the short U-sound (e.g. come) complicate matters still further
alcove alone antelope appropriate arose associated bone bony bulldoze chose chosen chrome close clothes clover code commotion component composer cone cope cove creosote cyclone devoted diploma disposal docile dome dose dote doze drone drove elope enclose envelope episode explosive exposure froze frozen gnome grocer grope heroic holy home hope hose hotel imposed Joseph jovial kimono local located lone lotion microscope mobile mode moment motel motive noble nobody node nomad nose notable notice November oboe ocean October omen opal open opponent oval over periscope phone poem poet poetry pony pope pose postpone potion primrose proboscis proceeds process programme proposal protest pullover quota rhizome robe rode Roman rope rose rove scope slogan slope sober sociable social soda sofa solar stone strode suppose telephone telescope those throne tone total trombone utopia utopian vocalist wardrobe wove yodel zodiac zone
broke broken choke joke poke smoke spoke spoken stoke stroke token woke yoke
cloak croak oak soak
note promote quote remote vote wrote
afloat boat coat gloat goat oats stoat throat
dole hole mole molar pole polar role sole stole stolen whole casserole rissole tadpole
knoll poll roll scroll stroll swollen toll troll wholly control enrol patrol
coal foal goal shoal
bold cold fold gold hold holster old scold sold solder soldier told bolt colt dolt jolt revolt folk yolk
soul mould moult shoulder smoulder
boast coast roast toast – host most post postal poster
coach coax foam groan load loaf loan loathe moan oaf oath poach road roam soap toad approach cockroach
sewn brooch goes gross mauve both sloth only
blown bowl grown growth known mown own rowan shown sown thrown
O-e sound in endings
blow bow* crow flow glow grow know low mow row* show slow snow sow* stow throw tow * with two different pronunciations
doe floe foe hoe oboe roe sloe toe woe
dough though oh owe sew
fro go no pro so
ago albino also armadillo banjo bingo buffalo cargo cello disco domino duo dynamo echo ego Eskimo flamingo halo hello hero judo kimono ludo motto piano piccolo Pluto polo potato pseudo radio ratio solo soprano studio tango tobacco tomato tornado torpedo trio video volcano zero
arrow barrow bellow below billow bungalow burrow elbow fellow follow gallows hollow marrow narrow pillow shadow shallow swallow sorrow sparrow tomorrow wallow widow willow window yellow cocoa depot pharaoh