The Two Sounds of oo

Read oo as in moon and oo as in book.

The vowel team oo makes two sounds. The long sound is /oo/, as in 'moon', 'food', 'zoo', and 'spoon'. Your lips make a small circle, like you're about to whistle. The short sound is the one in 'book', 'look', 'foot', and 'good'.

It's quicker and your lips are more relaxed. There is no perfect rule for which to use, so try one, and if it isn't a real word, try the other. Read: 'Look at the moon! It is a good night to go to the zoo. '

• 1oo can sound like moon.
• 2oo can sound like book.
• 3Try one sound; if it's not a word, try the other.