Description of the /u/ Sound

• /u/ is a short vowel sound
• It is pronounced when the back of the tongue is raised towards the roof of the tongue
• When it is pronounced, the lips are kept in a circular form and the mouth is slightly open

Description of the /u:/ Sound

• This is a long vowel sound
• It is pronounced when the tongue is brought up so that the corners would touch the back teeth
• The sound is made right at the top of the mouth and the lips are brought close in a circled position

Spelling the /u/ Sound

• u, as in: pull, butcher, full, cushion, sugar, etc.
• oo, as in: shook, took, cookies, good, foot, hook, etc.
• o, as in: woman, wolf, bosom, etc.
• ou, as in: would, should, could, courier, bouquet, etc.

Spelling the /u:/ Sound

• o, as in: lose, prove, move, two, whom, etc.
• oe, as in: shoe, canoe, etc.
• u, as in: crude, flute, cute, dune, June, Luke, nuke, etc.
• oo, as in: noon, cool, choose, drool, loo, pool, fool, cooed, food, etc.
• ou, as in: soup, group, wound, coup, etc.
• ew, as in: Jew, few, chew, pew, drew, etc.
• ue, as in: sue, due, glue, blue, true, etc.
• ui, as in: suit, juice, fruit, cruise, view, etc.