Hear the two vowels before you say them
These clips demonstrate isolated vowels. They are not recordings of the example words below.
Play each sound twice. On the next pass, look away from the labels and listen for the difference.
Try six listening questions for u and ou. The two-vowel listening round opens with /y/ and /u/ selected; each answer reveals the target and a mouth cue. These are isolated synthetic clips, not word recordings.
| What happens | What to practise next |
|---|---|
| You cannot yet hear two different vowels | Replay the two clips before repeating. Keep the task to listening for the contrast. |
| You hear the difference, but both attempts sound alike | Try the forward-tongue cue for /y/ below, then alternate one word pair. |
| You keep the vowels separate in words, but lose them in a sentence | Slow down Tu as tout ? and repeat the whole line once. |
Keep the tongue forward for /y/
For /y/, a useful starting cue is an /i/-like tongue position with rounded lips. For /u/, the tongue is farther back. Both involve rounding, so stronger lip pressure alone does not create the contrast. Keep the effort comfortable and listen to the result.
In tu / tout, the vowel change matters even though the written words differ in length. Vu / vous offers another short comparison. Say which word you intend, play the corresponding reference and record the same pair; avoid judging the difference only from how your mouth feels.
If you can hear the contrast but cannot preserve it in a phrase, return to one word and build the phrase around it. The free vowel trainer supplies both models, while the rounded-vowel guide explains why other rounded French vowels need different tongue positions.
Mouth position and airflow
For u, put the tongue forward like ee while rounding the lips. For ou, keep the tongue farther back with rounded lips.
Three examples to practise
| Round | French target |
|---|---|
| 1 | tu / tout |
| 2 | vu / vous |
| 3 | sur / sourd |
Common mistakes and a correction
- Avoid using English oo for both sounds.
- Avoid moving the tongue back for u.
- Avoid forgetting lip rounding.
Five-minute practice ladder
- Say ee silently, then round the lips for u.
- Say ou with the tongue back.
- Alternate tu and tout.
- Use each word in a short phrase.
- Record the contrast.