Lesson 17: Uu /ʌ/

Help Your Child Learn to Say, Write, and Read with the Letter Uu!

What Will We Learn Today?

Today’s lesson focuses on the letter Uu, which spells the short vowel sound /ʌ/—as in umbrella. Your child will learn how to say the /ʌ/ sound, write uppercase and lowercase Uu, and blend and read simple words and sentences using this helpful vowel.

How to Make the /ʌ/ Sound

The short /ʌ/ sound is common in English and appears in many early reading words, like up, mud, and sun.

Here’s how to help your child make the /ʌ/ sound:

• Open your mouth slightly.

• Keep your lips relaxed.

• Keep your tongue low and centered.

• Turn your voice on—/ʌ/ is a voiced, continuous sound.

• Say: /ʌʌʌ/

Articulate
Model the sound together: “Let’s say /ʌ/ like we’re surprised—/ʌʌʌ/!” Hold the sound for a moment and say it in words your child already knows.

How to Write the Letter Uu

Time to grab your whiteboard and marker!

Uppercase U

• Start at the top.

• Curve down and around like a big bowl.

• Then go back up on the other side.

Lowercase u

• Start at the top.

• Curve down and around.

• Go back up and finish with a short straight line down on the right.

Encourage your child to trace, write, or shape the letter with playdough for extra practice.

Let’s Practice Reading Words

Blend these CVC words with the short /ʌ/ sound in the middle:

• up

• us

• sum

• cut

• mud

• pup

• cup

• nut

• sun

Model slow blending:
“/m/ – /ʌ/ – /d/” → mud
Then blend fluently: mud

Let’s Practice Reading Phrases

Use short, decodable phrases with /ʌ/ words and known sight words:

• the sum

• in the mud

• a nut

• a fun pup

• in the sun

• up to us

Ask:

“Can you find the word with the /ʌ/ sound? Let’s blend and read it together.”

Let’s Practice Reading Connected Sentences

These connected sentences build fluency and familiarity with the short U sound:

• The sun is up.

• Is the pup in the mud?

• The pup and I sit in the mud.

• It is fun to sit in the mud!

Encourage rereading for confidence and rhythm.

Let’s Practice Reading Sentences

• The pup is on the mat.

• The nut is in the cup.

• It is up to us.

• Tom can cut it up.

These short sentences reinforce blending, sight word recognition, and sentence structure.

Color, Trace, and Write

Use printable worksheets where your child can:

• Color pictures with the /ʌ/ sound

• Trace uppercase and lowercase Uu

• Practice writing the letter Uu

[Download the Uu Worksheet Here]

Flashcards – Middle Sound Focus

Because Uu is a vowel, flashcards should highlight CVC words with the short /ʌ/ sound in the middle.

Examples:

• cup

• sun

• mud

• pup

Ask:

“What sound do you hear in the middle?”
“What letter spells that sound?”

[Download Uu Flashcards – Middle Sound CVC Set Here]

Conclusion

The short U sound /ʌ/ is a key part of early reading. With hands-on writing, sound blending, and sentence reading practice, your child will gain confidence in decoding and understanding short vowel words.

Keep the learning joyful and consistent. What short U word can your child read today? Share it in the comments!