Soup

Soup is pronounced with a long 'oo' sound: /suːp/. Start with a high back tongue position for /uː/, lips rounded slightly. The /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative, followed by a long vowel, then a voiceless bilabial stop /p/. Stress is on the single syllable. Audio reference: listen for the elongated /uː/ before the final /p/ in native speech.

Common mistakes include shortening the vowel to /u/ or misproducing the final /p/ as a released plosive with voicing. Some learners also add an extra vowel, saying ‘soo-up’ or ‘soup’ with an overemphasized lip rounding. To correct: keep the vowel clear and long: /suːp/, finish with a crisp, unreleased /p/ or a light aspirated release if comfortable. Practice with minimal pairs like /suːp/ vs /suːpə/ to monitor length.

In US, UK, and AU, the word remains /suːp/, but rhotic vs non-rhotic influences occur in connected speech. In some British accents, linking words may affect the perceived duration, and the preceding consonant may link with following words, creating a smoother transition. Australian English also preserves /suːp/ but may feature slightly shorter vowel duration in fast speech. These accents keep the core /uː/ quality, with minor timing and vowel length variations.

The challenge is maintaining the long /uː/ vowel with a clean, unreleased final /p/. Learners often shorten the vowel or insert an extra vowel syllable. The single-syllable structure can lead to over-articulation of the /s/ or misplacement of the tongue for the /p/ release. Focus on a steady, high back tongue position for /uː/, then a crisp, unvoiced /p/ closure without vocalization after the release.

Soup centers on a long, tense /uː/ and a sharp /p/ at the end. Because there’s no consonant cluster after /p/, you’ll want a clean closure and a short exhale, avoiding a trailing vowel sound. The word often blends in rapid speech with following words, so practice linking: /suːp/ + a next word by keeping the /p/ firm but not overly aspirated.