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    Pronunciation · vowel

    The /ʊ/ sound: oo as in book

    In short

    /ʊ/ is a short near-close back rounded vowel, the vowel you hear in book, put, good. 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 /ʊ/

    1. 1Round your lips loosely, much less than for /uː/.
    2. 2Keep your tongue high and back but relaxed.
    3. 3Make it short and soft: book, put, good.

    Sounds like: a short, relaxed 'oo', the sound in 'good'

    /ʊ/ in words, with audio

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

    • bookbʊk · sound is medial
    • putpʊt · sound is medial
    • goodɡʊd · sound is medial
    • couldkʊd · sound is medial
    • womanˈwʊmən · sound is medial
    • fullfʊl · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Using a long tense /uː/ so 'full' sounds like 'fool' and 'pull' like 'pool'. /ʊ/ is short, lazy and relaxed.

    Spellings of /ʊ/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /ʊ/: oo u oul 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 /ʊ/

    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.

    WorcestershireWUUS-tuh-shuh

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /ʊ/ sound?
    Round your lips loosely, much less than for /uː/. Keep your tongue high and back but relaxed. Make it short and soft: book, put, good.
    What is the most common mistake with /ʊ/?
    Using a long tense /uː/ so 'full' sounds like 'fool' and 'pull' like 'pool'. /ʊ/ is short, lazy and relaxed.
    Which spellings make the /ʊ/ sound?
    Common spellings include “oo”, “u”, “oul”, “o”, as in book /bʊk/, put /pʊt/, good /ɡʊd/.
    Does /ʊ/ 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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