Single letter
The "u" sound — /u/
As in up. Tap play to hear the sound, see the mouth shape, and learn 5 words to practice.
Mouth shape
Relaxed mouth, short 'uh'
Gesture
Pretend to hold an umbrella up and say u-u-u
Example words
- up
- us
- under
- cut
- run
How to teach the “u” sound
- Hear it first. Tap Play three times. Have your child watch your mouth while you copy the sound — no letter name yet, just the pure sound /u/.
- Do the gesture. Pretend to hold an umbrella up and say u-u-u— kids remember sounds 2× faster when there’s a physical action attached.
- Find it in words. Read the 5 example words aloud slowly, stretching the /u/ sound: “u–p”.
- Spot it around the house. “Can you find something that starts with /u/?” Aim for 3 wins in a row before stopping.
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ABC Phonics — Sounds for Kids