The letter “u” can be a tricky character for young learners. Unlike some vowels with a single, consistent long sound, “u” has a hidden talent: it can represent two distinct long vowel sounds – “yoo” in “few” and “oo” in “do”! This article explores the fascinating world of long U sounds, equipping you with the knowledge and strategies to guide young readers and spellers.
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Mastering the 2 long U sounds
The ‘yoo’ sound
This sound, often described as similar to saying the letter “u” itself, is a high-front vowel. Imagine a cute puppy – the “yoo” sound in “cute” perfectly exemplifies this pronunciation. Here’s how u can spell the “yoo” sound:
U as in music – download word list
- unit
- music
- cupid
- pupil
- future
- human
- unicorn
- uniform
- universe
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.studyzoneinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Long_U_Sound_Wordlists_Study_Zone.jpg?resize=618%2C800&ssl=1)
UE as in rescue – download word list
- cue
- hue
- argue
- value
- venue
- rescue
- Tuesday
- continue
- barbeque (barbecue)
British English
- tissue
- issue
- statue
- avenue
EU as in queue
- feud
- queue
- neuron
- neutral
- neuter
- eulogy
- euphoria
- neurotic
- pneumonia
EW as in few
- few
- pew
- hew
- mew
British English
- dew
- new
- stew
U-E as in cube – download word list
- use
- cute
- fuse
- fume
- huge
- mute
- mule
- cube
- puke
- excuse
- tribute
British English
- tube
- tune
![Preply](https://i0.wp.com/www.studyzoneinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-11-195055.png?resize=618%2C178&ssl=1)
The ‘oo’ sound
This sound is a mid-back vowel, produced by rounding your lips slightly. Think of the vast blue sky – the “oo” in “blue” is a perfect example. The “u” can represent this sound in various ways.
U as in super
- duty
- tuna
- ruin
- ruby
- tulip
- truly
- super
- stupid
- studio
UE as in glue – download word list
- sue
- blue
- clue
- glue
- true
- issue
- tissue
- avenue
UI as in fruit – download word list
- fruit
- juice
- suit
- bruise
- cruise
- recruit
- suitcase
- suitable
EW as in screw – download word list
- new
- chew
- grew
- flew
- brew
- blew
- drew
- crew
- stew
- screw
- threw
- knew
OO as in balloon – download word list
- too
- zoo
- food
- mood
- moon
- noon
- soon
- spoon
- boot
- tooth
- cool
- fool
- pool
- tool
- roof
- room
See many “oo” words in OO Stories.
OU as in soup – download word list
- you
- coup
- soup
- youth
- group
- wound
- troupe
- routine
- cougar
- coupon
See many “ou” words in OU Stories.
U-E as in flute – download word list
- rule
- rude
- dude
- tube
- tune
- flute
- include
- salute
- parachute
- June
oe
- shoe
- canoe
Expanding teaching strategies for long U
Here’s a breakdown of the provided strategies with additional tips to make them even more effective:
1. Auditory discrimination: Games and activities
“I Spy”: Take turns describing objects around the room using long U sounds. Others guess the object by identifying the sound (“I spy something blue that you use to write. What is it?” – “It’s a blue pen!”)
“Sound detectives”: Read a short story with a mix of long and short U sounds. Students hold up cards with “oo” or “yoo” written on them whenever they hear the corresponding sound.
Minimal pairs game: Use word pairs that differ only by the two “u” sounds (e.g., cute/shoot, blue/glue). Pronounce one word and have students identify the other based on the sound.
2. Visual cues: Beyond flashcards
Create a word wall: Decorate a classroom wall with colourful charts or pictures representing words with the targeted sound. Group words by their spelling pattern (e.g., “oo” words, “ue” words).
Interactive word sorts: Write long “u” words on individual cards and provide sorting mats with categories like “oo” sound, “yoo” sound, or specific spelling patterns. Students physically sort the words, reinforcing visual memory.
Colour my word: Provide students with black and white pictures of objects with long U sounds. Let them colour the picture according to the sound (e.g., blue for “oo”, green for “yoo”).
3. Kinesthetic activities: Engaging the body
Mirror, mirror on the wall: Stand in front of a mirror and have students make exaggerated facial expressions for each long U sound. Observe the mouth shapes and connect them to the sounds.
Play dough phonics: Use play dough to mould letters that represent long U sounds. Students can then manipulate the play dough to form words with those sounds.
“Oo” and “Yoo” charades: Act out words with long U sounds for classmates to guess. The emphasis should be on using clear mouth movements to depict the sound.
4. Blending and segmenting: Making connections
Sound manipulations: Start with a simple long U word (e.g., “tube”). Take turns removing or adding sounds to create new words (e.g., “tu”, “ute”, “cute”). This helps students understand how sounds build words.
Building words with magnetic letters: Provide magnetic letters and a metal surface. Students can manipulate the letters to form words with long U sounds, focussing on blending individual sounds together.
Interactive whiteboard activities: Use an interactive whiteboard to display a long U word. Students can take turns segmenting the word by tapping or dragging individual sounds to separate boxes.
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5. Rhyming and word sorts: Building fluency
Silly sentences: Create silly sentences that contain rhyming words with long U sounds (e.g., “The cute blue shoe flew into the goo”). Encourage students to come up with their own silly sentences.
“Roll and read”: Create a die with long U words written on each side. Students roll the die, read the word, and try to find a rhyming word.
Digital word sorts: Utilise online platforms or educational apps that offer interactive word sorting activities with these tricky sounds. This allows for a game-like experience while reinforcing sound recognition.
By incorporating these expanded strategies, you can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that caters to different learning styles and helps students master the complexities of the long U sounds.
Learning goes beyond the classroom
While mastering the mechanics of long U sounds is crucial, learning shouldn’t stop there. Encourage children to find these words in their everyday lives: on signs, in books, or even during conversations. This fosters a love for language and reinforces the connection between written symbols and spoken sounds. Remember, the journey of literacy is filled with exploration and discovery. By making learning engaging and interactive, you can equip young learners with the tools to conquer this sound and its many faces!
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See also:
Decoding: Focus on 6 steps when sounding out words
OO words: Download 5 free worksheets with this vowel team
OO in words: 16 lists of rimes for spelling activities
OO Stories: Discover the sounds in food, book, door and flood
OOT words: Learn to spell with rime word list
OU Stories: Have fun with words mouse, group, dough, tough, pour
OU words: Download 5 free worksheets with this vowel team
OU in words: 9 lists of rimes for spelling activities
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