U

1. the twenty-first letter of the English alphabet, is a cursive form of the letter V, with which it was formerly used interchangeably, both letters being then used both as vowels and consonants. U and V are now, however, differentiated, U being used only as a vowel or semivowel, and V only as a consonant. The true primary vowel sound of U, in Anglo-Saxon, was the sound which it still retains in most of the languages of Europe, that of long oo , as in tool , and short oo , as in wood , answering to the French ou in tour . Etymologically U is most closely related to o , y (vowel), w , and v ; as in two , d u et, d y ad, t w ice; t o p, t u ft; s o p, s u p; a u spice, a v iary. See V , also O and Y .

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