The Letter U
The letter U makes the sound heard in the words up, funny and jump. This is the sound (short u) you would first introduce to a child. The letter u also makes the long u sound as heard in the words June, unit and menu. The long u is often pronounced as if the letter Y is in front of it, e.g., music (myuzik) & mule (myul).
The letter u is most commonly found using the short u sound, followed by the long u sound. When the letter u follows the letter Q, it sounds like a W, e.g., queen and quick. The letter u can also make the following sounds:
- Schwa sound, e.g., circus & supper,
- Short OO, e.g., full & sugar,
- Long OO, e.g., truth, Sue & duty,
- ER Sound, e.g., fur & purple,
- Broad O vowel, e.g., auto & haul, and
- Diphthong, e.g. out & loud.
The letter U can also sound like a short i, e.g. busy, and like a short e, e.g. bury.
Letter U Worksheets
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We created worksheets to help your child practice forming the letter U correctly. Ideally, letters should be formed from top to bottom and left to right with a continuous stroke when possible. The uppercase U is formed as follows: down, curve and up. The lowercase U is formed as follows: down, curve, up and then down. |
Letter U Worksheet 1
We offer a free printable worksheet that encourages a child to say, trace and write the upper- and lowercase letter u.
Letter U Worksheet 2
We offer a free printable worksheet that focuses on the uppercase letter u. We encourage a child to say, trace and write the uppercase letter u.
Letter U Worksheet 3
We offer a free printable worksheet that focuses on the lowercase letter u. We encourage a child to say, trace and write the lowercase letter u.
Letter U Worksheet 4
We offer a free printable worksheet that encourages a child to say, trace and write the upper- and lowercase letter u.
Letter U Worksheet 5
We offer a free printable worksheet that encourages a child to say, trace and write the upper- and lowercase letter u.
Letter U Worksheet 6
We offer a free printable worksheet that encourages a child to say, trace and write the upper- and lowercase letter u. We also included a fun game – circle the items that begin with the letter u.
Words with the Letter U
The table below contains a list of words with the letter u. We also indicate the location of the short u sound – beginning (initial) or middle (medial). Our list contains 260 words; please use our search feature to narrow results.
| Letter U Words | Sound |
|---|---|
| bluff | medial |
| blunt | medial |
| blush | medial |
| brunch | medial |
| brush | medial |
| buck | medial |
| bud | medial |
| budge | medial |
| buff | medial |
| bug | medial |
| bulk | medial |
| bum | medial |
| bump | medial |
| bun | medial |
| bunch | medial |
| bunk | medial |
| bunt | medial |
| bus | medial |
| bust | medial |
| but | medial |
| butt | medial |
| Chuck | medial |
| chug | medial |
| chum | medial |
| chump | medial |
| chunk | medial |
| club | medial |
| cluck | medial |
| clump | medial |
| clung | medial |
| clutch | medial |
| crumb | medial |
| crunch | medial |
| crush | medial |
| crust | medial |
| crutch | medial |
| cub | medial |
| cuff | medial |
| cull | medial |
| cup | medial |
| cuss | medial |
| cut | medial |
| drub | medial |
| drudge | medial |
| drug | medial |
| drum | medial |
| drunk | medial |
| dub | medial |
| duck | medial |
| dud | medial |
| dug | medial |
| dull | medial |
| dumb | medial |
| dump | medial |
| dung | medial |
| dunk | medial |
| dust | medial |
| Dutch | medial |
| flub | medial |
| fluff | medial |
| flung | medial |
| flunk | medial |
| flush | medial |
| frump | medial |
| fudge | medial |
| fun | medial |
| funk | medial |
| funny | medial |
| fuss | medial |
| glum | medial |
| glut | medial |
| grub | medial |
| grudge | medial |
| gruff | medial |
| grump | medial |
| grunt | medial |
| gull | medial |
| gum | medial |
| gun | medial |
| gush | medial |
| gust | medial |
| gut | medial |
| hub | medial |
| huff | medial |
| hug | medial |
| hulk | medial |
| hull | medial |
| hum | medial |
| hump | medial |
| hunch | medial |
| hundred | medial |
| hung | medial |
| hunk | medial |
| hunt | medial |
| hush | medial |
| hut | medial |
| hutch | medial |
| judge | medial |
| jug | medial |
| jump | medial |
| junk | medial |
| just | medial |
| jut | medial |
| luck | medial |
| lug | medial |
| lull | medial |
| lump | medial |
| lunch | medial |
| lung | medial |
| lush | medial |
| lust | medial |
| much | medial |
| muck | medial |
| mud | medial |
| muff | medial |
| mug | medial |
| mull | medial |
| mum | medial |
| munch | medial |
| mush | medial |
| muss | medial |
| must | medial |
| mutt | medial |
| nub | medial |
| nudge | medial |
| numb | medial |
| number | medial |
| nun | medial |
| nut | medial |
| pluck | medial |
| plug | medial |
| plum | medial |
| plumb | medial |
| plump | medial |
| plunk | medial |
| plus | medial |
| plush | medial |
| pub | medial |
| puck | medial |
| puff | medial |
| pug | medial |
| pump | medial |
| pun | medial |
| punch | medial |
| punk | medial |
| punt | medial |
| pup | medial |
| pus | medial |
| putt | medial |
| rub | medial |
| ruff | medial |
| rug | medial |
| rum | medial |
| rump | medial |
| run | medial |
| rung | medial |
| runt | medial |
| rush | medial |
| rust | medial |
| rut | medial |
| scrub | medial |
| scuff | medial |
| scum | medial |
| shrub | medial |
| shrug | medial |
| shrunk | medial |
| shuck | medial |
| shun | medial |
| shunt | medial |
| shut | medial |
| skull | medial |
| skunk | medial |
| sludge | medial |
| slug | medial |
| slum | medial |
| slump | medial |
| slunk | medial |
| slush | medial |
| smudge | medial |
| smug | medial |
| smut | medial |
| snub | medial |
| snuff | medial |
| snug | medial |
| sprung | medial |
| spud | medial |
| spun | medial |
| spunk | medial |
| struck | medial |
| strum | medial |
| strung | medial |
| strut | medial |
| stub | medial |
| stuck | medial |
| stud | medial |
| study | medial |
| stuff | medial |
| stump | medial |
| stun | medial |
| stung | medial |
| stunk | medial |
| stunt | medial |
| sub | medial |
| such | medial |
| suck | medial |
| sudden | medial |
| sulk | medial |
| sum | medial |
| summer | medial |
| sun | medial |
| sung | medial |
| sunk | medial |
| sup | medial |
| swum | medial |
| swung | medial |
| thrush | medial |
| thrust | medial |
| thud | medial |
| thug | medial |
| thumb | medial |
| thump | medial |
| thus | medial |
| truck | medial |
| trudge | medial |
| trump | medial |
| trunk | medial |
| truss | medial |
| trust | medial |
| tub | medial |
| tuck | medial |
| tug | medial |
| Tut | medial |
| ugh | initial |
| ugly | initial |
| ulcer | initial |
| ultra | initial |
| umbrella | initial |
| umpire | initial |
| unable | initial |
| uncertain | initial |
| uncle | initial |
| under | initial |
| understand | initial |
| underwear | initial |
| undo | initial |
| unhappy | initial |
| unless | initial |
| until | initial |
| unusual | initial |
| unzip | initial |
| up | initial |
| upon | initial |
| uproar | initial |
| upset | initial |
| upstairs | initial |
| us | initial |
| usher | initial |
| utmost | initial |
| utter | initial |
| wrung | medial |