The Letter U
Basics on the topic The Letter U
Introduction to the Letter U
Today's journey is all about an often-used and unique letter in our language—the letter U. It's a useful letter that we encounter in many essential words. Whether you're writing a story or learning new vocabulary, understanding the letter U is key to becoming a great reader and writer.
Understanding the Letter U – Definition and Sounds
The letter U is the 21st letter in the English alphabet and is known for its distinct sound, which phonetically sounds like /ʌ/ (as in up) or /u/ (as in blue).
It's a vowel, and it can produce different sounds depending on the word. Remember, the sound of the letter U can be heard in words like umbrella, under, and unique.
Writing the Letter U – How to?
Writing the letter U is straightforward and fun. To write the uppercase U, start at the top, draw a line down, curve it at the bottom, and bring it back up to the top. For the lowercase u, start in the middle, draw a line down, curve it up to the right, and bring it back down slightly below the starting point.
The Letter U – Example Words and Sentences
The letter U is useful and ubiquitous, appearing at the beginning, middle, and end of words. For instance, Uncle Ulysses used an umbrella under the unusual sky. Here, the letter U is used at the start of several words, showcasing its versatility.
Words with the Letter U
The letter U is quite common, so let's look at a list of words that feature this letter prominently:
| Begin With | Contain | End With |
|---|---|---|
| umbrella | autumn | menu |
| unicorn | music | glue |
| under | statue | rescue |
| unique | cloudy | argue |
The Letter U – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
- The letter U is known for its distinct sounds, represented phonetically as /ʌ/ and /u/ because it has The Two Long U Sounds
- It is the 21st letter in the English alphabet.
- Writing the letter U involves drawing a curved line.
- The letter U can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of words.
Keep exploring the world of letters with our interactive lessons and printable activities. The letter U is just one exciting part of your alphabetic adventure!
The Letter U – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript The Letter U
Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about "The Letter U". This is the letter U, it makes the sounds /Ū/ and /Ŭ/. This is an uppercase U and this is a lowercase one. They both make the /Ū/ and /Ŭ/ sounds like in up, unlock, and utensils! Let's practice the U sounds with Dee and Kala! "/Ū/, U, /Ū//!" "/Ŭ/, U, /Ŭ/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with the letter U? "There's a unicorn; that starts with the letter U!" "There's an umbrella that also begins with the letter U!" Uh-oh! U is hiding with other letters! Can you help find the letter U in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learned all about the letter U, we listened to and made two U sounds! We found words that began with the letter U and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and try to find the UFO and United States hidden in the garden! Comment below when and where you find them! Want to learn more? Check out the next letter in the alphabet, the letter V!
The Letter U exercise
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Which one is the correct letter?
HintsListen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.
This is an __.
Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?
SolutionThe correct letter is u. This makes the /u/ sound.
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What sound does the letter make?
HintsThe word up starts with the sound.
Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word under?
SolutionThe correct sound is /u/.
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Find the objects that have "u" in their names.
HintsThere are 5 items that have u in them to highlight.
Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?
Listen carefully to the names of the objects.
SolutionThe five items that have u in them are:
- sun
- mug
- rug
- bus
- nut
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What is the word?
HintsWhich sound can you hear at the beginning of each word?
Which sound can you hear at the end of each word?
Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.
SolutionThe words are:
- run
- cup
- tub
- hut
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Help Kala find the objects that begin with "u".
HintsListen to the sound. Which words begin with this sound?
Say all of the items out loud. In which ones do you hear the /u/ sound at the beginning?
There are two correct choices.
SolutionUmbrella and udders start with /u/.
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Can you put the words in the correct group?
HintsListen carefully to this word. Do you hear u at the beginning or in the middle?
Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it u or a different sound?
There are 2 words that begin with u and 4 words that have u in the middle.
SolutionUnder and unpack have u at the beginning.
Jug, hug, bug and drum have u in the middle.
