IPA: /ʌ/ – The "short u"
The IPA symbol /ʌ/ represents the "short u" sound, commonly heard in words like "cup," "sun," "luck," and "but." It is called the open-mid back unrounded vowel, but in English phonetics, it’s often simply referred to as the "caret" or "wedge" sound.
This vowel is produced with the tongue in a low-mid, central position in the mouth. The lips are relaxed and not rounded, and the sound is short and stressed.
❓How to Know if It's the /ʌ/ Sound:
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Tongue Position: Mid-low and central in the mouth.
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Stress: The /ʌ/ sound often appears in stressed syllables.
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Spelling Patterns: Usually spelled with the letter “u” or “o” in stressed syllables.
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Examples: cup, bus, sun, come, love
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🔊Sample Words with the /ʌ/ Sound:
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Cup
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Sun
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Bus
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Love
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Run
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Jump
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Up
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Fun
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Luck
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Under
📝 Simple Sentences with /ʌ/:
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I drink tea from a cup.
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The sun is shining brightly.
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We rode the bus to school.
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I love my family.
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He can run very fast.
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The kids like to jump in puddles.
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Please look up at the stars.
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They had so much fun at the park.
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She had good luck on the test.
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The cat is hiding under the bed.
🔁 Tongue Twisters with /ʌ/:
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A cup of sun under the bus is fun.
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Jump up, run up, hurry up for the bus!
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Some lucky ducks love the summer sun.
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Funny bunnies run up and jump down.
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Under the sun, we run and have fun.
📖 A Short Story with /ʌ/ Sound:
Sunny Fun with a Cup
One hot day, Gus woke up early. The sun was shining, and he felt full of fun ideas. He grabbed a cup of cold juice and called his dog, Bub.
“Let’s go for a run, Bub!” he said.
They ran past the bus stop, over the hill, and into the park. Gus saw kids playing, jumping and laughing. He joined them and had so much fun.
After a while, Gus sat under a tree to rest. “This is the best kind of day,” he said, sipping from his cup.
And Bub wagged his tail, happy to be with the boy he loved.
