Long U at a glance:
- Words with u sound include unit, truth, tulip
- Words with u_e sound include use, cube, volume
- Words with oo sound include boot, hoop, zoo
- Words with ew sound include chew, flew, stew
Spelling Frequencies:
- u - 59%
- u_e - 19%
- oo - 11%
- ew - 4%
Rare Spelling Patterns:
- ue (blue)
- ou (you)
- ui (fruit)
- o (move)
- ough (through)
- eu (feud)
- eau (beauty)
- eaue (queue)
- iew (view)
- ut (debut)
- ewe (ewe)
Common Spelling Generalisations or Patterns:
- Can be pronounced /oo/ (middle or end sounds) or /yew/ (beginning, middle and end sounds)
- u is used at the beginning of words or at the end of an open syllable
e.g. u/nit, u/nicorn, hu/man, mu/sic - ew is typically used at the end of a word e.g. few, threw, chew
- u_e is usually used in the middle of the final syllable e.g. tune, cube, include
- oo is usually used in the middle or at the end of a word e.g. zoo, moon
- ue is not a common spelling pattern for long u, but is usually found at the end of a word e.g. clue, blue, glue