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Vowel

Short U / Strut Vowel

The mid-low back-central unrounded vowel sound heard in words like "cup", "luck", "son", and "does". Often called the STRUT vowel in linguistics, this sound is common in English and appears in many frequently used words.

u
Phonetic System (Merriam-Webster):u

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Example Words

Main Example

cup
Phonetic: kʌp

Common Words

cupkʌp
lucklʌk
sonsʌn
doesdʌz
funfʌn
upʌp
butbʌt
studyˈstʌdi
lovelʌv
comekʌm

Minimal Pairs

Listen and compare similar sounds

u
cup
kʌp
Compare with
C
cap
kæp
u
luck
lʌk
Compare with
L
lock
lɑk
u
hut
hʌt
Compare with
H
hot
hɑt
u
but
bʌt
Compare with
B
bat
bæt

Tongue Twister

Uncle Russ runs under the rusty truck.|A bunch of funny ducks jump up and run.|The ugly puppy loves to cuddle up.|Bugs Bunny munches crunchy carrots.|Gus must rush to brush the bus dust.

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Technical Details

  • CategoryVowel
  • VoicingVoiced
  • Place of ArticulationCentral (Mid-Low)
  • Manner of ArticulationOpen-mid back unrounded vowel
  • Mouth PositionJaw is mid-open, slightly lower than for schwa /ə/. Tongue is low-mid and in the center or slightly back of the mouth, relaxed. Lips are neutral, not rounded or spread. The sound is produced with an open throat and relaxed articulation.