母音 /ʊ/ 是高後母音(high back vowel)。發音時,嘴唇圓形,舌頭在口腔裏的位置是中高位,呈放鬆狀態。
母音 [ʊ] 發音的拼讀方式有下列幾種可能性:
u
<子音 + ʊ + 子音>:bush [bʊʃ], push [pʊʃ], put [pʊt]
v
<-o->:woman [´wʊmən],
wolf [wʊlf]
w
<-oo->:book [bʊk], look [lʊk], hook [hʊk]
x
<-oor->:poor [pʊr]
y
<-ou->:should [ʃʊd], would [wʊd], could [kʊd]
z
<-u->:bull [bʊl], full [fʊl], bullet [´bʊlɪt]
{
<-ue->:continue [kən´tɪnjʊ]、rescue [´rɛskjʊ]
|
<-ure->:assure [ə´ʃʊr]、sure [ʃʊr]、lure [lʊr]