Have you ever wondered what sound does the letter U make? Is it “you” or “uh”? The answer is that it can make both sounds depending on the word in which it appears. In this article, we will explore the different sounds that the letter U can make and how to determine which sound it makes in a particular word.
Short U Sound
The short U sound is the most common sound that the letter U makes. It sounds like “uh” and is found in words such as “cup”, “fun”, and “hut”. It is the sound that the letter U makes when it is followed by a consonant.
For example, in the word “cut”, the letter U is followed by the consonant “t”. Therefore, it makes the short U sound. The same is true for words like “hug”, “mud”, and “rug”.
Long U Sound
The long U sound is less common than the short U sound. It sounds like “you” and is found in words such as “tube”, “mule”, and “cute”. It is the sound that the letter U makes when it is followed by certain vowels or when it appears at the end of a word.
For example, in the word “cube”, the letter U is followed by the vowel “e”. Therefore, it makes the long U sound. The same is true for words like “dune”, “flute”, and “rude”.
Silent U
There are also words in which the letter U is silent and doesn’t make any sound at all. These words are usually those in which the letter U follows the letter Q. Some examples of these words include “queen”, “quick”, and “acquire”.
Exceptions
As with most rules, there are exceptions to the sounds that the letter U makes. For example, the word “busy” does not follow the rule of the short U sound. Instead, it makes the “ee” sound as in “bees”.
Another exception is the word “bury”. It is pronounced as “berry” instead of “buh-ry” which would be the short U sound. Similarly, the word “build” is pronounced as “bild” instead of “buh-ild” which would be the short U sound.
Conclusion
So, what sound does the letter U make? It can make both the short U sound and the long U sound depending on the word in which it appears. There are also exceptions to the rule, such as words like “busy”, “bury”, and “build”. By understanding the different sounds that the letter U can make, you can improve your pronunciation and communication skills.
Related video of What Sound Does The Letter U Make
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zj48HehthTo
