• Vowels make several voiced sounds.
• The breve about the letter reminds us that we are going to now focus on this vowel’s short, closed sound: /ŭ/, /ŭ/, /ŭ/, up.
• If remembering the sound is tricky, you can help your brain by using your body more. Point to the sky as you say: /ŭ/, /ŭ/, /ŭ/, up.

Depending on the speaker and use, a vowel can create a schwa sound. A schwa is a quick and relaxed vowel sound, typically in an unaccented syllable. There is not a standardized sound for a schwa, but the most common schwa sound for letter “U” sounds like the vowel sound in the last syllable of the word “album”.