U vs OU: the fastest way to stop confusing them

What you’ll learn Build a clean contrast between /y/ (u) and /u/ (ou) with mouth placement and quick drills. Key ideas (keep these in your head) • OU (/u/): lips rounded and forward; tongue relatively back (like ‘boot’ but purer). • U (/y/): lips rounded, but tongue is forward/high (like ‘ee’ with rounded lips). • If you can say ‘ee’ then round your lips without changing tongue position, you’re close to French U. Real examples (French → what you often hear → English) • Tu veux du sucre ? → tu veux du sucre → Do you want sugar? • Où tu vas ? → où tu vas → Where are you going? • C’est plus dur que tu crois. → c’est plus dur que tu crois → It’s harder than you think. Drills U tu, lune, rue, plus, dessus OU tout, loup, roue, beaucoup, dessous pairs tu/tout, rue/roue, plus/poulos (contrast drill), lune/loup (approx pair) Common mistakes (and quick fixes) • Using an English ‘oo’ for both. Fix: separate tongue position (forward for U). • Over‐spreading lips for U. Fix: keep lips rounded; only the tongue shifts forward. Quick self-check Record minimal pairs: tu/tout, rue/roue, plus/poule (approx). Can you hear a consistent difference?