Lips
Round your lips tightly and push them forward into a small circle, like whistling. Match the strong rounding in the animation.
Long vowels
/u/ · /uː/as in goose
The vowel in "goose". A long "oo" with lips pushed into a tight circle.
Example words: goose, who, blue, food, school
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /u/ · /uː/ sound?
Tongue
Raise the back of your tongue very high, close to the soft palate. The front of the tongue stays low and out of the way.
Length
Long. Hold it. This is the tense partner of the short "u" in "foot": "fool" stretches with tight lips, "full" is quick and loose.
Video lesson
Try it
- Shape your lips as if about to whistle.
- Say a long "oo" and hold it for a full second.
- Keep the circle small and firm the whole time.
- Try: goose, who, blue.
Check
Mirror check: while holding "oo", your lips should form a small, clearly forward-pushed circle. Then record "fool, full". "Fool" must be visibly and audibly longer and tighter than "full".
Common trap
Two things go wrong: the rounding is too weak, so the sound turns flat and dull, or the vowel gets clipped short so "pool" sounds like "pull". If your lips aren't working, the vowel isn't either. You should feel them pushed forward.
Practice: /u/ · /uː/
Words
gooseɡˈus
whohˌu
blueblˈu
foodfˈud
schoolskˈul
Sentences
Who moved my new blue shoes?hˌu mˈuvd maɪ nˈu blˈu ʃˈuz?
You should choose some new boots soon.jˌu ʃˌʊd tʃˈuz sˌʌm nˈu bˈuts sˈun.
We swam in the cool blue pool.wˌi swˈæm ɪn ðə kˈul blˈu pˈul.
The goose flew over the smooth lake.ðə ɡˈus flˈu ˈoʊvəɹ ðə smˈuð lˈeɪk.
The food at school is too good.ðə fˈud æt skˈul ɪz tˈu ɡˈʊd.
Words
gooseɡˈuːs
whohˌuː
blueblˈuː
foodfˈuːd
schoolskˈuːl
Sentences
Who moved my new blue shoes?hˌuː mˈuːvd maɪ njˈuː blˈuː ʃˈuːz?
You should choose some new boots soon.jˌuː ʃˌʊd tʃˈuːz sˌʌm njˈuː bˈuːts sˈuːn.
We swam in the cool blue pool.wˌiː swˈam ɪn ðə kˈuːl blˈuː pˈuːl.
The goose flew over the smooth lake.ðə ɡˈuːs flˈuː ˈəʊvə ðə smˈuːð lˈeɪk.
The food at school is too good.ðə fˈuːd at skˈuːl ɪz tˈuː ɡˈʊd.
🔊 plays the app's native voice. 🎤 records you so you can play it back next to it. Your recording stays in your browser.
Sounds in the same group
Is /u/ · /uː/ one of yours?
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