90+ Short U Words with Useful Examples in English

Last updated on November 2, 2023 by Isabella Claire

Have you ever heard the term “snug as a bug in a rug?” It is quite a fun sentence to say. It has some rhyme and if you’ll take some time, you can learn why it sounds this way. There is a similarity in all of these words. One little letter can be heard. So read with me and you will see what makes up all of these words.

Short U Words

What Are Short U Words?

That one little letter you can hear, is not a tall fellow. It is quite the opposite actually. The sound that you hear, is the short “u” sound. The short “u” makes the “uh” sound. You can find the short “u” in a word by using this formula: “u” + consonant + end of word = short “u,” and “u” + consonant + consonant = short “u.” The short “u” sound is found in any word that has the “uh” sound. It is used in many rhymes and alliterations, as in “as snug as a bug in a rug”

Short U Words

Ways to Spell Short U

Despite what you may think, the letter “u” is not the only letter that can make short u words. There are different letters and even combinations of letters that can make the same sound. These are the different ways you can make short u words.

  • U: The first method is the obvious one, used in words like fun and run.
  • O: “O” makes the “u” sound in some situations. Some examples are love, dove, and some.
  • OO: This is the first combination we will be covering. In some cases, but not all, two O’s can come together and make a short “u.” An example being the word flood.
  • OU: This is another instance where this combination will not always make the short “u” sound. This rule applies to the words young, trouble, and couple.
  • A: The letter A alone can sometimes make short u words. “Want” is one of the times where ‘a’ can make short u words.
  • E: Last but not least, the letter “e”. I used our example in the last sentence. The example of this is just the word “the.”

List of Short U Words

Here are some short u words you should know:

  • Blood
  • Brother
  • Bud
  • Bug
  • Bum
  • Bump
  • Bun
  • Bus
  • But
  • Chum
  • Club
  • Cousin
  • Cover
  • Crust
  • Cub
  • Cuff
  • Cuss
  • Cut
  • Does
  • Done
  • Double
  • Dub
  • Dud
  • Dug
  • Dump
  • Dust
  • Flood
  • Fun
  • Fund
  • Funny
  • Fuss
  • Glove
  • Gum
  • Gun
  • Gut
  • Honey
  • Hub
  • Hug
  • Hum
  • Hunt
  • Hut
  • Jug
  • Jump
  • Jut
  • Love
  • Lug
  • Lump
  • Lust
  • Money
  • Month
  • Mud
  • Mug
  • Muss
  • Must
  • Mutt
  • None
  • Nub
  • Nut
  • Plug
  • Plump
  • Plunder
  • Pub
  • Puff
  • Pug
  • Pump
  • Pun
  • Punt
  • Rub
  • Rug
  • Rum
  • Rump
  • Run
  • Runt
  • Rust
  • Rut
  • Shrub
  • Snug
  • Sub
  • Sud
  • Sun
  • Sunny
  • The
  • Ton
  • Trust
  • Tub
  • Tug
  • Tummy
  • Tundra
  • Ugly
  • Umbrella
  • Under
  • Untouchable
  • Utter
  • Want
  • Won
  • Wonder

The list can go on and on and on, but I decided to stop there. This should give you a few ideas about how many words use the short u.

Conclusion

Whether you are as snug as a bug in a rug, laying in the sun and having fun, or sitting in a hut eating nuts, short u words are all around. Now when you hear that sound every day, you know what it is and how to use it.

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