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IPA
ʊə

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Diphthong

CURE Diphthong / Centering Diphthong

The centering diphthong vowel sound heard in words like "cure", "sure", "poor", and "tour". Often called the CURE vowel. It starts with a high back rounded vowel /ʊ/ (like in 'put') and glides towards the central vowel /ə/ (schwa). Note: This diphthong is becoming rare in many English dialects.

Voicing
Voiced
Place of Articulation
Back-to-Central
Manner of Articulation
Vowel (Diphthong)
Mouth Position

Start with the tongue high and back, lips rounded for the /ʊ/ sound, jaw relatively closed. Then, glide the tongue towards the center and lower it slightly while unrounding the lips and relaxing the jaw for the /ə/ sound.

How to Make This Sound

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Example Words

cureMain Example
kjʊə
sure
ʃʊə
poor
pʊə
tour
tʊə
pure
pjʊə
mature
məˈtjʊə
endure
ɪnˈdjʊə
secure
sɪˈkjʊə
lure
ljʊə
ensure
ɪnˈʃʊə

Pronunciation Practice

11 words

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3-5 essential words

Full Practice

All 11 words

Minimal Pairs

Listen and compare similar sounds

ʊə
poor
pʊə
Compare with
P
pour
pɔː
ʊə
sure
ʃʊə
Compare with
S
shore
ʃɔː
ʊə
tour
tʊə
Compare with
T
tore
tɔː

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Practice and related guides

Use the hub pages below to reinforce this sound with drills and deeper explanations.

Sound Hub

Study English diphthongs

See how English gliding vowels work and where they appear in common words.

Practice

Practice English diphthongs

Train the glide and mouth movement behind the main diphthong patterns.

Pronunciation

What Are Diphthongs? The English Vowels That Move

Diphthongs are vowel sounds where your mouth glides from one position to another. Learn what makes them different from regular vowels and why they matter for clear English pronunciation.

Pronunciation

Why Romance Language Speakers Flatten English Diphthongs (and How to Glide Properly)

Spanish, Portuguese, and French speakers often turn English diphthongs into flat vowels, making 'say' sound like 'seh' and 'go' like 'goh.' Learn exactly why this happens and how to master the glide in all five English diphthongs.