The /ʌ/ Vowel (STRUT)
/ʌ/
/ʌ/ is a central open unrounded vowel. It is a short monophthong, so it keeps one steady quality.
Example Words
| Word | UK | US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| cup | /kʌp/ | /kʌp/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| sun | /sʌn/ | /sʌn/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| love | /lʌv/ | /lʌv/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
Distinctive Features
/ʌ/ is told apart from every other English sound by three distinctive features.
Allophones Of /ʌ/
/ʌ/ has 2 allophones in the app, starting with [ʌ̃], a vowel followed by a nasal in the same syllable. The full list, where each occurs and the examples are in Allophones, which opens with any course or with Adroit Plus.
Words With The /ʌ/ Sound
/ʌ/ At The Start Of A Word
- up
- ugh
- oven
- ugly
- undo
- unto
- onion
- other
- udder
- ulcer
- uncle
- under
- untie
- upper
- usher
- utter
- others
- umpire
- unable
- undone
- uneasy
- uneven
- unfair
- unfold
- unholy
- unkind
- unlike
- unload
- unlock
- unmask
/ʌ/ In The Middle Of A Word
/ʌ/ At The End Of A Word
Minimal Pairs
Minimal Pairs /æ/ And /ʌ/ (Cat And Cut)Minimal Pairs /ʌ/ And /ɑː/ (Cut And Cart)Minimal Pairs /ɒ/ And /ʌ/ (Cot And Cut)
Questions Students Ask
How do you describe the vowel /ʌ/?
/ʌ/ is a central open unrounded vowel.
Which words have the /ʌ/ sound?
For example cup, sun, love.