All about Ü
Note 1: How to Pronounce ü
Practice Goals:
- Tame your muscles for the ü sound.
- Being able to hear and say ü, u, and i clearly.
- Pronounce ü in longer sentences (tongue twisters!)
- New practice habit: take one baby step every day.
For those of you who are desperate to fix your ü once and for all, you’re in the right place. This is Part 1 of a three-part series designed to help you master this tricky sound. We will use videos, audio clips, and quizzes, and you can download the free 3-week practice log to track your progress.
Why is it so hard?
Ü is like a hybrid of i and u, and your facial muscles don’t know what to do with it. Watch the video below to get your lips and tongue to work together, instead of fighting each other.
And seriously, please use the camera of your phone to record yourself practicing. I know it’s awkward. I do it too whenever I have to speak English in a formal setting. It makes a huge difference.
Try saying these two words with the camera on:
yīyú (silverfish, 衣魚/衣鱼) [3:48]
wūyú (squid, 烏魚/乌鱼) [4:24]
Compare your lips and sounds to mine in the video. Can you spot any differences? Are your lips in the perfect kissing position when you are pronouncing ü?
If so, fantastic! 😘
Minimal pairs
Minimal pairs are word pairs that differ by only one sound. They’re one of the most effective ways to fine-tune your pronunciation.
Listen to each group of words below. Then try saying them out loud, imitating what you hear.
Group 1
lúzi (stove 爐子/炉子)
lízi (pear 梨子/梨子)
lǘzi (donkey 驢子/驴子)
Group 2
nǔlì (hard-working 努力)
nǚlì (woman power 女力) (a brand name)
Group 3
xiàwǔ (afternoon下午)
xiàyǔ (rain下雨)
Group 4
róngyì (easy 容易)
róngyù (honor 榮譽/荣誉)
Can you hear the differences? Now take the quiz below and test your ears (select “Start test”):
If you missed a few, don’t panic. Pay close attention to patterns in your mistakes (for example, confusing nǚ with nǔ). Now you know where to focus.
Tongue twisters
Now it’s your turn to feel like I did when I first learned English 😉 Practice saying the tongue twisters below. Record yourself saying them, upload the video to YouTube, and drop the link in the comments. You might get featured in our Practice Room!
Tongue twister 1
Hóng lǐyú, lǜ lǐyú yǔ lǘ.
(A red carp, a green carp, and a donkey.)
紅鯉魚、綠鯉魚與驢。/ 红鲤鱼、绿鲤鱼与驴。
(slower)
(faster)
Tongue twister 2
Xiàwǔ xiàyǔ, lǘzi zài lúzibiān chī lízi.
(It rained in the afternoon, and the donkey ate a pear by the stove.)
下午下雨，驢子在爐子邊吃梨子。/ 下午下雨，驴子在炉子边吃梨子。
(slower)
(faster)
Tongue twister 3
Lú lǜshī shì yíwèi nǔlì de nǚ lǜshī.
(Lawyer Lu is a hardworking female lawyer.)
盧律師是一位努力的女律師。 / 卢律师是一位努力的女律师。
(slower)
(faster)
Your practice log
I hate to break it to you, but you are NOT going to master ü in one day. The only shortcut to language learning is consistent baby steps. Download your practice log here to keep track of your progress.
Next week in part 2, we’ll tackle ju, qu, and xu, so make sure to upgrade your ü before then.
Leave a comment, and stay tuned!
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