American English Sounds
  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors

/uw/

LISTEN

listen_to_-uw-.mp3
File Size: 305 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/uw/.../uw/.../uw/.../uw/...

food...cute...
soon...tu​tor

WHAT IS IT?

Pronunciation:
The sound /uw/ is a high, back, tense, round vowel.
  • Make a tight circle with your lips
  • Pull your tongue back.
  • Tighten your tongue
  • Breathe out and let your vocal cords vibrate.
 
stressed_-uw-.mp3
File Size: 95 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

This vowel is usually stressed, as in these words:
  • ​neutral
  • beautiful
  • confuse
unstressed_-uw-.mp3
File Size: 96 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

However, /uw/ can also be unstressed. In an unstressed syllable, /uw/ is pronounced quickly and softly. 
  • curfew
  • virtue
  • unique

Spelling:
  • "u" - mute, humid 
  • "ui" – juice, fruit
  • "oo" - spoon, food
  • “ou” – group, you
  • “ue” – blue, true
  • "ew" - few, pewter
  • “o” – who, move
  • "eu" - neutral, feud
  • "oe" (not common) - shoe, canoe​

Note: In English, some words have a /y/ sound before /uw/. This sound is “invisible” – it’s not shown in spelling. 
uw_invis-y.mp3
File Size: 247 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

​If the /uw/ is spelled “u,” “eu,” "eau," or “ew,” there is usually an invisible /y/, unless the syllable begins with “j”, “r”, or "ch."
  • Words with invisible /y/: 
    • confuse
    • menu
    • music,
    • unity​
uw_no-invis-y.mp3
File Size: 249 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

  • Words without invisible /y/: 
    • ​juice,
    • rude,
    • chew,
    • soo​n
For other words, there may be variation in whether speakers pronounce an invisible /y/ before /uw/. For example, invisible /y/ is usually pronounced after the "n" in "menu" but may or may not be pronounced after the /n/ in "newspaper" or "nutrition."  This variation occurs when /uw/ is spelled "u," "eu," "eau," or "ew" and comes after "t," "d," "s," "x," "l," or "n."

COMPARE

Compare /uw/ and /ʊ/:
compare_uw-oo_1.mp3
File Size: 421 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/uw/…/ʊ/…/uw/…/ʊ/…/uw/…/ʊ/…

These are both high, back vowels. However, /uw/ is a tense vowel and /ʊ/ is a lax vowel. To pronounce /uw/, your tongue must be tense (tight).

You can hear the difference between /uw/ and /ʊ/ in these words.
compare_uw-oo_words2.mp3
File Size: 226 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. stewed, B. stood
2. A. duel, B. dull
3. A. nuke, B. nook
4. A. suit, B. soot
5. A. pooling, B. pulling
6. A. wooed, B. would


Practice recognizing words with /uw/ and /ʊ/ by taking the quiz below.

Now, compare /uw/ and /ow/:
compare_uw-ow_1.mp3
File Size: 132 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/uw/…/ow/…/uw/…/ow/…/uw/…/ow/…

These are both back, tense vowels. However, /uw/ is a high vowel and /ow/ is a mid vowel.


You can hear the difference between /uw/ and /ow/ in these words.

compare_uw-ow_words.mp3
File Size: 201 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. sue, B. so
2. A. hoop, B. hope
3. A. pool, B. pole
4. A. lose, B. lows
5. 
A. tune, B. tone

6. A. ruler, B. roller

Practice recognizing words with /uw/ and /ow/ by taking the quiz below.

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words. (Words with invisible-/y/ are marked with *.)
words_with_-uw-.mp3
File Size: 714 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. move
2. fruit
3. *few
4. 
room
5. soon
6. juice
7. cool
8. duty
9. *music
10. *humid
11. *confuse
12. assume
13. *beautiful
14. *newspaper
15. *unique
16. *reduce
17. *computer
18. *interview
19. *communicate
20. *accumulation

 
Now, practice /uw/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-uw-.mp3
File Size: 1405 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. interview – new – Tuesday
I have an interview for a new job on Tuesday.

2. blueberries – fruit – juice
We need blueberries for the fruit juice.

3. beautiful  - truly -  unique
Your art is beautiful and truly unique.

4. confused – rules – amusement
I’m confused by the rules at the amusement park.

5. blue – shoes – cute
Those blue shoes are really cute.

6. June – too – humid
​The weather in June is too humid.
​

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:
  • Male 1 (US Midwest - St Louis) - words, sentences
  • Male 2 (US Midwest - Iowa) - words, sentences
  • Male 3 (US Midwest) - words, sentences
  • Female 1 (US Northeast) - words, sentences
  • Female 2 (US Southeast) - words, sentences

USE IT!

​​Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

​Prepare:
What activities do you do to improve your English?
  • Attending a full-time language school
  • Studying grammar rules
  • Using English everywhere you go
  • Attending events in an English-speaking community
  • Keeping a notebook of new words that you learn​
  • Studying on the computer
  • Listening to English music
  • Reviewing vocabulary every day
  • Tutoring someone else in English
  • Reading the news in English
  • Communicating with an English-speaking friend
  • Attending a full-time language school
  • Studying grammar rules
  • Using English everywhere you go
  • Attending events in an English-speaking community
  • Keeping a notebook of new words that you learn​​
  • Studying on the computer
  • Listening to English music
  • Reviewing vocabulary every day
  • Tutoring someone else in English
  • Reading the news in English
  • Communicating with an English-speaking friend

Record:
​Imagine you are speaking to a group of new English students. In your recording, recommend three activities that students can do to improve their English. Explain why each activity will help them improve.


©2018-2021, Christine Wingate
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors