Pronouncing the Diphthong /uw/ and
the Simple Vowel /ʊ/
Tense and lax "u" are the next two sounds we are going to cover. Are they similar to the vowel sounds we have in Spanish (the mother tongue for most students in class)? To start with, we must say that /uw/ is very similar to the /u/ we have in Spanish. The only real difference between these two vowel sounds is that the tense "u" is much tenser than the one we have in Spanish. On the other hand, the lax "u" or /ʊ/ does not exit in Spanish.
The absence of /ʊ/ in Spanish implies that every single one in class must learn how to relax their muscles involved in the articulation of this particular sound. As we studied when dealing with tense and lax "i," relaxing one's muscles in the production of /ʊ/ is the key. Otherwise, you will end up pronouncing a /u/ sound like the one found in Spanish and that will give you a heavy accent in the articulation of these two sounds: /uw/ and /ʊ/.
Now let's analyze how each one is pronounced. Read each vowel description and practice with the sample words provided. With the links provided, look for the vowel sounds and take a look at how the sounds are produced inside and outside your mouth; that is, how articulators such as the tongue moves inside the mouth, and how your lips get to be rounded or unrounded depending on which vowel sound you produce.
Section A: /uw/ as in do, food, new, and June
How is the vowel sound /uw/ pronounced?
- Hold the front part of your tongue low in your mouth, with the tip lightly touching the lower front teeth.
- Raise the back of your tongue toward the roof (soft palate) of your mouth.
- Round your lips and push them out. The opening is smaller than for the sound /ow/ as in “no.”
- Place your thumb underneath your chin to feel the tense muscles.
Take a look at how /uw/ is pronounced inside your mouth and how your lips get positioned:
http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html
| Sample Words with /uw/ | IPA Transcriptions |
| through | /ϴruw/ |
| whose | /hwuws/ |
| juice | /dʒuws/ |
| too | /tuw/ |
| shoe | /ʃuw/ |
| true | /truw/ |
| blew | /bluw/ |
| beauty | /’byuwɾɪ/ |
| include | /ɪŋ’kluwd/ |
| Luke | /luwk/ |
Section B: /ʊ/ as in put, butcher, cook, sugar, and wolf
How is the vowel sound /ʊ/ pronounced?
- Hold the front part of your tongue low in your mouth, with the tip lightly touching the lower front teeth.
- Raise the back of your tongue toward the roof (soft palate) of the mouth, but lower than for the sound /uw/ as in “do.”
- Your lips should be close together, but not rounded or pushed out.
- Place your thumb underneath your chin. You should feel no tense muscles; the muscles are relaxed.
Take a look at how /ʊ/ is pronounced inside your mouth and how your lips get positioned:
http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html
| Sample Words with /ʊ/ | IPA Transcriptions |
| would | /wʊd/ |
| stood | /stʊd/ |
| soot | /sʊt/ |
| full | /fʊl/ |
| pull | /pʊl/ |
| good | /gʊd/ |
| hood | /hʊd/ |
| woman | /’wʊmǝn/ |
| sugar | /’ʃʊgǝr/ |
| wooden | /’wʊdǝn/ |
