Final AW Words for Speech Therapy

Final AW Words are words that end with the AW sound, such as saw, law, and draw. This list has 14 final-position AW words for speech therapy practice, and most children master the AW sound by age 3.

AW words at the end: saw, law, draw, shaw, jaw, withdraw, straw, utah, claw, flaw — plus 4 more below. Final position leaves the vowel to finish the word on its own, with no consonant to close it, so it is the easiest place for the sound to trail off or get cut short.

Words:14
Position:Final

Final AW Words — Full List (14 Words)

Every word below ends with the AW sound. Work through five at a time rather than the whole list in one sitting.

sawlawdrawshawjawwithdrawstrawutahclawflawwichitajigsawthawgnaw
Practice these words with games

How to Practice Final AW Words at Home

Strategies for practicing the AW sound at the end of words.

1

These words finish on the vowel, with no consonant to close them. Encourage your child to land on the AW sound and finish it rather than letting the word trail away.

2

Say the AW sound on its own first, then put the rest of the word in front of it and land on that same sound — "saw".

3

Use a mirror. A vowel is made by how open the jaw is and how the lips and tongue sit, not by a contact your child can feel, so watching the mouth is the clearest feedback available.

4

Practice minimal pairs — two words that differ only in this vowel. Hearing the pair back to back shows a child exactly what has to change, which a single word never does.

5

Go by sound, not spelling. English writes the AW sound several different ways, so read the words aloud together rather than teaching them as a spelling pattern.

6

Rhyming works especially well here: words that end on the same vowel rhyme by definition, so a rhyme game is pure practice for this position.

Final AW Words — Frequently Asked Questions

What are examples of AW words in the final position?
This page lists 14 AW words that end with the AW sound, including saw, law, draw, shaw, jaw, withdraw, straw, utah, claw, flaw.
What age should a child master the AW sound?
Most children master the AW sound by age 3. Vowels come in earlier than most consonants: children generally have their full vowel system before the late-developing consonants such as /R/, /S/ and /TH/. Vowel errors are far less common than consonant errors, so one that is still there in a school-age child is worth raising with a speech-language pathologist.
How do you make the AW sound?
Cue the lip rounding directly — "make a little circle with your lips". If your family merges cot and caught, skip minimal pairs like cot/caught and practise the words as vocabulary instead.
What are common AW sound errors?
The most common AW errors are: Substituting the broad A sound (Broad A as in father) for the AW sound.; Substituting the long O sound (Long O as in boat) for the AW sound..
How do you practice final AW words at home?
These words finish on the vowel, with no consonant to close them. Encourage your child to land on the AW sound and finish it rather than letting the word trail away. Say the AW sound on its own first, then put the rest of the word in front of it and land on that same sound — "saw".

More AW Word Lists & Resources

Practice the AW sound in the other word positions, or use the full sound guide and word list.

Initial AW Words

14 words with tips

Medial AW Words

14 words with tips

AW Sound Guide

How to make it, common errors, FAQ

All AW Words

Complete 42-word list, all positions

Speech Sound Development Chart

What age each sound should appear

Speech Therapy Games

Practice AW words with interactive activities

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