We know that the long u sound says its name. It can also say long oo. But how many ways are there to spell these long vowel sounds? Here I’ve divided up the spelling patterns by long u and long oo sounds. There are FOUR common spelling patterns that can make BOTH long u and long oo sounds, and THREE common spelling patterns for just the long oo sound.
It is worth acknowledging that in a limited number of words, the long oo sound can also be spelled as o (as in do, lose, move, prove, and to); oe (as is canoe and shoe); and ough (as in through). However, these spelling patterns are so far and few between for the long oo sound that they are not included in this chart as a main go-to for spelling patterns of this sound.
Knowing these different spelling patterns for these sounds is vital in developing phonemic awareness that will support students on their journey of becoming strong, confident, and fluent independent readers. As students move from picture-heavy readers to more text-heavy books, they need to be equipped to confidently tackle words without guessing or using pictures. Targeted phonics instruction will not only help students decode more fluently, but students who have strong decoding and fluency skills also comprehend what they read more efficiently. In this post, I list each of the spelling patterns as well as when each spelling pattern is most likely to be used.
U
Can spell the long u and long oo sounds most often at the end of a syllable. Ex: music; tulip
An exception is the single-syllable word truth.
U_E
Can spell the long u and long oo sounds when the silent final e makes the u say its name or long oo. Ex: huge; flute
EW
Can spell the long u and long oo sounds most often at the end of a base word. Ex: few; threw
UE
Can spell the long u and long oo sounds most often at the end of a base word. Ex: argue; glue
OO
Can spell the long oo sound in the middle or end of a word. Ex: pool; igloo
OU
Can spell the long oo sound in the middle of a word. Ex: soup
The exception is the word you.
UI
Can spell the long oo sound in the middle of a word. Ex: fruit
For targeted practice with the different spelling patterns of the long u and oo sounds, check out this decodable reading resource in my shop.
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