Sound /ʊ/

How to pronounce /ʊ/

/ʊ/ is a short, relaxed vowel found in book, put, and good. The lips are only slightly rounded — nothing like the tight pucker of /uː/.

Mouth shape

• Lips are slightly rounded but loose and relaxed.
• The opening is wider and less circular than for /uː/.

Tongue position

• Back of the tongue is raised, but not as high as /uː/.
• The whole tongue feels relaxed, not tense.

Jaw & lip tips

• Jaw drops just a little more than for /uː/.
• Keep the sound short and clipped — in and out quickly.

Common pitfalls

• Over-rounding the lips and turning it into /uː/ (pull → pool).
• Holding the vowel too long.
• Making it sound like the /ʌ/ in cup — /ʊ/ has lip rounding; /ʌ/ does not.

Contrast with /uː/

Think relaxed and quick for /ʊ/ versus tense and long for /uː/.

Example words

book, full, look, good, put, could.