How to tell /uː/ and /ʊ/ apart
/uː/ is longer and tenser. /ʊ/ is shorter and more relaxed.
/uː/
Long U
food /fuːd/
A long, tense back vowel. Lips are rounded and the sound is held longer.
Common mistake: Learners often shorten /uː/, making food sound like foot.
/ʊ/
Short U
foot /fʊt/
A short, relaxed back vowel. Lips are rounded but less tense than /uː/.
Common mistake: Learners often pronounce /ʊ/ too long, making foot sound like food.
- •/uː/ is long: food, pool, Luke.
- •/ʊ/ is short: foot, pull, look.
- •Keep your lips rounded for both sounds.
- •The biggest difference is length and tension.
Minimal pairs
food/fuːd/
foot/fʊt/
pool/puːl/
pull/pʊl/
Luke/luːk/
look/lʊk/