There are 4 ways we pronounce written double oo:

1.  /uw/
2.  /ʊ/
3.  /ʌ/
4.  /ɔ–ɚ/

 

Today we’ll practice the most common pronunciation:   /uw/
Put your mouth in the same shape as the picture.

 

schoolroom /ˈskuwl–ruwm/

 

broom /bruwm/

 

roof /ruwf/

 

noon /nuwn/

 

boot /buwt/
stool /stuwl/

 

food /fuwd/
spoon /spuwn/

 

one scoop /skuwp/ of ice cream
/wʌn-skuw–pə-ˈvay-skriym/

 

Next blog post:  2.  /ʊ/

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There are 4 ways we pronounce written double oo:

1.  /uw/ most common
2.  /ʊ/
3.  /ʌ/
4.  /ɔ–ɚ/

 

Written double oo = / ʊ/ in a small number of words.
There is a list of all of them at the bottom.

 

First, let’s listen to the difference between /uw/ and /ʊ/.

look /lʊk/
moon /muwn/

 

cool /kuwl/
brook /brʊk/

 

cook  /kʊk/
food /fuwd/

 

foot /fʊt/
boot /buwt/

 

And now let’s practice /ʊ/.

look /lʊk/
good /gʊd/
cook /kʊk/
book /bʊk/
Look at my really good cookbook.
/ˈlʊ–kæt-may-ˈri-yə-liy-gʊd-ˈkʊk–bʊk/

 

took /tʊk/
cookie /kʊ–kiy/
Who took the cookie?
/ˈhuw-tʊk-ðə-ˈkʊ–kiy/

 

hood /hʊd/
woods /wʊdz/
Little Red Riding Hood went through the woods.
/ˈlɪ-dəl-rɛd-ˈray-dɪŋ-hʊd-ˈwɛnt|-θruw-ðə-ˈwʊdz/

 

crooked /ˈkrʊ–kɪd/
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is crooked.
/ðə-liy-nɪŋ-ta-wɚ-əv-ˈpiy-zə-ɪz-ˈkrʊ–kɪd/

 

good /gʊd/
hood /hʊd/
We live in a good neighborhood.
/wiy-lɪ-vɪ-nə-gʊd-ˈney-bɚ-hʊd/

 

stood /stʊd/
foot /fʊt/
She stood on one foot.
/ʃiy-ˈstʊ–dan-wʌn-fʊt/

Here is the whole list of written oo words pronounced /ʊ/.
All the words on the list are sometimes parts of larger words, as we see with:  cookie, crooked, neighborhood

 

Part 1:  common words…with pictures and audio above:

book
brook
cook
crook
foot
good
hood
look
stood
took
wood

 

Part 2:  less common words…without pictures:

hoof  /hʊf/
hook /hʊk/
nook  /nʊk/
rook  /rʊk/
shook  /ʃʊk/
soot (coal dust)  /sʊt/
woof  /wʊf/
wool  /wʊl/

Next blog post:  3.  /ʌ/

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