Are the words “how” and “howl” pronounced the same?

I can see some differences when I listen to someone saying “Howl“ with the purpose of showing how it is pronounced. But I want to know if in a native would be able to tell which word someone is saying without a context in a normal conversation. For example:
Person A: “What is your dog’s name?“
Person B: “His name is Howl“
Would Person A know that Person B said “Howl“?
In a conversation I would say “howl“ with a silence “L“. I can pronounce the “L“ but it sounds unnatural. Maybe I just need to improve my pronunciation of the word?