SpeakMetry
    Start free

    Pronunciation · diphthong

    The /ʊə/ sound: ure as in tour

    In short

    /ʊə/ is a centring diphthong: glides from /ʊ/ towards schwa /ə/, the diphthong you hear in tour, pure, cure. 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 /ʊə/

    1. 1Start with the relaxed /ʊ/ of 'book'.
    2. 2Open into a schwa, with no r sound (British).
    3. 3Tour, pure, cure.

    Sounds like: 'oo-uh' blended into one syllable

    /ʊə/ in words, with audio

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

    • tourtʊə · sound is final
    • purepjʊə · sound is final
    • curekjʊə · sound is final
    • sureʃʊə · sound is final
    • touristˈtʊərɪst · sound is medial
    • furiousˈfjʊəriəs · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Overthinking it: many modern British speakers say /ɔː/ instead ('sure' = /ʃɔː/, 'poor' = /pɔː/), and that is completely acceptable. Just avoid a hard r ending.

    Spellings of /ʊə/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /ʊə/: our ure oor. English spelling is unreliable; trust the IPA, not the letters.

    British vs American: American English uses /ʊr/: 'tour' = /tʊr/.

    Keep exploring

    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /ʊə/ sound?
    Start with the relaxed /ʊ/ of 'book'. Open into a schwa, with no r sound (British). Tour, pure, cure.
    What is the most common mistake with /ʊə/?
    Overthinking it: many modern British speakers say /ɔː/ instead ('sure' = /ʃɔː/, 'poor' = /pɔː/), and that is completely acceptable. Just avoid a hard r ending.
    Which spellings make the /ʊə/ sound?
    Common spellings include “our”, “ure”, “oor”, as in tour /tʊə/, pure /pjʊə/, cure /kjʊə/.
    Is /ʊə/ different in American English?
    American English uses /ʊr/: 'tour' = /tʊr/. IELTS accepts both; pick one model and stay consistent.
    Does /ʊə/ matter for IELTS?
    It is a polish-level sound: errors are audible but rarely stop a listener understanding you. IELTS scores intelligibility, not perfection; prioritise the contrasts that change word meaning.

    Next step

    Hear how close your /ʊə/ is

    Record the sound and get instant AI feedback on it, free and with no account. SpeakMetry then maps every sound that needs work across your whole accent.

    Check your pronunciation