The /ʊ/ Vowel (FOOT)
/ʊ/
/ʊ/ is a back half-close rounded vowel. It is a short monophthong, so it keeps one steady quality.
Example Words
| Word | UK | US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| put | /pʊt/ | /pʊt/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| book | /bʊk/ | /bʊk/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| good | /ɡʊd/ | /ɡʊd/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
Distinctive Features
/ʊ/ is told apart from every other English sound by four distinctive features.
Allophones Of /ʊ/
/ʊ/ has 2 allophones in the app, starting with [ʊ̃], a vowel followed by a nasal in the same syllable. The full list, where each occurs and the examples are in Allophones, which opens with any course or with Adroit Plus.
Words With The /ʊ/ Sound
/ʊ/ At The Start Of A Word
/ʊ/ In The Middle Of A Word
- put
- book
- bull
- bush
- cook
- foot
- full
- good
- hood
- hook
- look
- nook
- pull
- push
- soot
- took
- wolf
- wood
- wool
- bosom
- brook
- bully
- fully
- goods
- input
- pushy
- quran
- shook
- stood
- sugar
Questions Students Ask
How do you describe the vowel /ʊ/?
/ʊ/ is a back half-close rounded vowel.
Which words have the /ʊ/ sound?
For example put, book, good.