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    Pronunciation · vowel

    The /uː/ sound: oo as in blue

    In short

    /uː/ is a long close back rounded vowel, the vowel you hear in blue, food, two. Like every diphthong, the glide between two positions IS the sound. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

    How to pronounce /uː/

    1. 1Round your lips tightly and push them slightly forward.
    2. 2Raise the back of your tongue high.
    3. 3Hold the sound long: bluuue, fooood.

    Sounds like: a long 'oo' as if blowing gently through rounded lips

    /uː/ in words, with audio

    Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

    • bluebluː · sound is final
    • foodfuːd · sound is medial
    • twotuː · sound is final
    • ruleruːl · sound is medial
    • groupɡruːp · sound is medial
    • throughθruː · sound is final

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Making it too short and relaxed so 'pool' sounds like 'pull'. Tight lip rounding plus length are what mark /uː/.

    Spellings of /uː/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /uː/: oo u_e ue ew ou o. English spelling is unreliable; trust the IPA, not the letters.

    Don't confuse it with…

    Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast, the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.

    Words that drill /uː/

    Each has a full breakdown, audio in both accents and a recording drill. Practising a sound inside a real word transfers better than practising it alone.

    jewelleryJOO-ul-reequeueKYOOFebruaryFEB-roo-uh-reescheduleSHED-yoolbureaucracybyoo-ROK-ruh-seebruschettabroo-SKET-uhprosciuttopruh-SHOO-tohcharcuterieshar-KOO-tuh-ree

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /uː/ sound?
    Round your lips tightly and push them slightly forward. Raise the back of your tongue high. Hold the sound long: bluuue, fooood.
    What is the most common mistake with /uː/?
    Making it too short and relaxed so 'pool' sounds like 'pull'. Tight lip rounding plus length are what mark /uː/.
    Which spellings make the /uː/ sound?
    Common spellings include “oo”, “u_e”, “ue”, “ew”, “ou”, “o”, as in blue /bluː/, food /fuːd/, two /tuː/.
    Does /uː/ matter for IELTS?
    Yes. This is a high-priority sound. Errors here frequently change one word into another, which examiners hear as reduced clarity (the exact Band 6 wording is “mispronunciation … reduces clarity at times”).

    Next step

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