Open Syllable U — “yoo” (Long U)
When U is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the U says its name with a /j/ glide — like in 'mu-sic' and 'hu-man'.
How this rule works
This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone U at the end of a syllable says “yoo” (mu-sic, hu-man, u-nit). After L, R, S, or J the Y-glide drops and U says “oo” instead — see the companion Open Syllable U (“oo”) rule.
Remember: Long U says its name with a YOO sound!
Examples
Words that use this rule
56 words in the SnapPhonics dictionary use this rule. Tap any word to see how it breaks into sounds.
Exceptions
After L, R, S, or J, U makes /uː/ instead — see long_vowel_u_oo.
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