long u

Rule Core

ew / ue long u usually represents the /juː/ sound, identical to the letter name U. This spelling commonly appears at the end of words or syllables and signals a glide from /j/ into a sustained long /uː/.

Articulation Guide

Start with the tongue slightly raised toward the hard palate for /j/, then move it backward and upward for /uː/. Lips shift smoothly from relaxed to rounded, with steady airflow and no stop.

Word Analysis

view /vjuː/: the ew works as a unit, not as separate sounds. The same long u pattern appears in blue and true, where ue lengthens the vowel clearly.

Pitfalls

Avoid reading ew as /uː/ alone or /eʊ/. Do not drop the /j/ sound in words like new or few.