Long Vowel Sounds Worksheets for 1st Graders Online - SplashLearn - Free Printable

Let's solve this step by step.

Task:

We are asked to identify which words contain the long /u/ sound and color those clouds blue.

The long /u/ sound is pronounced like "oo" in "moon" or "you". It’s often represented by the letter "u" followed by a silent "e", or in certain patterns like "ue", "ui", or "oo". However, in this case, we're focusing on the long /u/ sound — which is typically the /juː/ or /yuː/ sound (like in "cute", "true", "flute").

But wait — let’s clarify: In English phonics, the long U sound can be represented in several ways:

- /juː/ (as in "cute", "true", "flute")
- /uː/ (as in "blue", "fuse", "tube")

However, in many early phonics programs like SplashLearn, "long U" refers to the /juː/ sound (the "yoo" sound), especially when spelled with "ue", "ui", "u-e", or "u" in an open syllable.

So, let’s go through each word and determine if it has the long /u/ sound (specifically the /juː/ sound).

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Step-by-step Analysis:

1. cute → /kjuːt/ → Yes – long U sound (/juː/)
2. stuck → /stʌk/ → short u → No
3. bus → /bʌs/ → short u → No
4. thumb → /θʌm/ → short u → No
5. fruit → /fruːt/ → Yes – long U sound (/uː/) — but note: some might consider this a different variant of long U
6. fuss → /fʌs/ → short u → No
7. drum → /drʌm/ → short u → No
8. rush → /rʌʃ/ → short u → No
9. clue → /kluː/ → Yes – long U sound (/uː/)
10. run → /rʌn/ → short u → No
11. flute → /fluːt/ → Yes – long U sound (/uː/)
12. just → /dʒʌst/ → short u → No
13. true → /truː/ → Yes – long U sound (/uː/)
14. shut → /ʃʌt/ → short u → No
15. hurt → /hɜːrt/ → not really a U sound; more like "er" → No
16. suit → /suːt/ → Yes – long U sound (/uː/)
17. fuel → /fjuːəl/ → Yes – starts with /juː/ → long U sound
18. tune → /tuːn/ → Yes – long U sound (/uː/)

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Now, let’s list the words that have the long /u/ sound:

- cute → /juː/
- fruit → /uː/
- clue → /uː/
- flute → /uː/
- true → /uː/
- suit → /uː/
- fuel → /juː/
- tune → /uː/

Wait — there’s a nuance here.

In phonics, "long U" often includes both:
- The /juː/ sound (as in "cute", "fuel")
- The /uː/ sound (as in "true", "clue", "fruit")

So both types are considered long U sounds.

Therefore, the words with long U are:

✔ cute
✔ fruit
✔ clue
✔ flute
✔ true
✔ suit
✔ fuel
✔ tune

Let’s double-check the rest:

- stuck → short u → ✘
- bus → short u → ✘
- thumb → short u → ✘
- fuss → short u → ✘
- drum → short u → ✘
- rush → short u → ✘
- run → short u → ✘
- just → short u → ✘
- shut → short u → ✘
- hurt → no long U → ✘

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Final Answer:

Color these clouds blue (they contain the long /u/ sound):

- cute
- fruit
- clue
- flute
- true
- suit
- fuel
- tune

> ✔ Total: 8 words

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Summary:

The words with the long /u/ sound are:
- cute, fruit, clue, flute, true, suit, fuel, tune

These should be colored blue.

Let me know if you'd like a visual version or printable instructions!