/u/

The /u/ is the highest back vowel in American English - think of "food" or "moon." To make it:

1. Raise your tongue high and pull it back toward the soft palate. The tongue body should be close to the roof of your mouth without touching it.

2. Round your lips tightly and push them forward into a small circle - like you're about to whistle or blow through a straw.

3. Keep the sound tense - your lips and tongue should feel engaged, not relaxed.

The combination of high-back tongue position and tight lip rounding gives /u/ its characteristic deep quality.

This pair confuses many learners. Compare "food" (/u/) with "foot" (/ʊ/), or "pool" with "pull." The difference is both length and tension:

• /u/ (in "food," "pool"): Tongue higher and further back, lips tightly rounded and pushed forward, longer and tense
• /ʊ/ (in "foot," "pull"): Tongue slightly lower, lips loosely rounded, shorter and relaxed

Try saying "Luke" then "look" - your lips should be noticeably tighter and more forward for "Luke."

• oo: food, moon, school
• u: June, flute, rude
• ew: chew, few, new
• ue: blue, true, clue

The straw test: Imagine holding a small straw between your lips. Your lips should be rounded and pushed forward enough that the opening is quite small. If your lips feel relaxed or wide, you're probably making /ʊ/ instead.