ʌ
Vowel
/ʌ/ — Open-mid back unrounded vowel
Example words
| Word | US English | UK English |
|---|---|---|
| cup | /ˈkʌp/ | /kʌp/ |
| love | /ˈlʌv/ | /lʌv/ |
| mud | /ˈmʌd/ | /mʌd/ |
| sun | /ˈsʌn/ | /sʌn/ |
| but | /ˈbʌt/ | /ˌbʌt/ |
| run | /ˈɹʌn/ | /ɹʌn/ |
| money | /ˈmʌni/ | /mʌni/ |
| come | /ˈkʌm/ | /kʌm/ |
| young | /ˈjʌŋ/ | /jʌŋ/ |
| much | /ˈmʌtʃ/ | /mʌt͡ʃ/ |
Transcriptions come from pronunciation lexicons IPAtics maintains, in US and UK English.
How to produce this sound
SoundOpen-mid back unrounded vowel.
TongueHold the tongue body at a mid height and avoid drifting up or down. Retract the tongue body toward the back of the mouth.
LipsKeep lips neutral or lightly spread; avoid accidental rounding.
JawUse a mid jaw opening and keep it steady.
VoiceKeep voicing continuous and even through the segment.
Minimal pairs
Each pair differs only in /ʌ/, so hearing them side by side isolates the sound.
- cut/ˈkʌt/cat/ˈkæt/
- cup/ˈkʌp/cap/ˈkæp/
- luck/ˈlʌk/lock/ˈlɑk/
- hut/ˈhʌt/hot/ˈhɑt/
Spelling patterns
- u as in cup
- o as in love
- ou as in young
Practise this sound
- ConverterEnglish to IPA converter
- In TurkishTürklerin İngilizce Telaffuzda Yaptığı 15 Yaygın Hata
- In Arabicالحروف المتحركة والصامتة في الإنجليزية وأصواتها
- In SpanishPronunciación en inglés para hispanohablantes
- In FrenchPrononciation anglaise : erreurs des francophones
- In PortuguesePronúncia em inglês para brasileiros: erros comuns
- In ItalianPronuncia inglese per italiani: gli errori tipici
Hear it in context with IPAtics
Select any text and get instant IPA transcription with per-phoneme pronunciation coaching. Free for macOS and Windows.
Download IPAtics