U
/juː/noun
The twenty-first letter of the modern English alphabet, usually representing a vowel sound.
Did you know?For centuries, Latin used V for both the vowel sound in “U” and the consonant in “V,” so inscriptions such as LVNA represented what English readers would write as LUNA.
Etymological Timeline
c. 1800–1500 BCE
Proto-Sinaitic
𐤅
“An early consonant sign, probably depicting or associated with a hook-like object; its exact name is debated.”
c. 1050 BCE
Phoenician
waw
“A letter representing the consonant /w/, traditionally connected with the meaning “hook.””
c. 800 BCE
Ancient Greek
υ (upsilon)
“A Greek letter derived from the Phoenician waw; it came to represent a rounded vowel.”
c. 700 BCE–300 CE
Latin
V
“A Latin letter used for both the vowel /u/ and the consonant /w/.”
11th–15th Century
Middle English
u
“A developing lowercase form used for the vowel /u/, while v remained a related graphic form.”
16th Century–Modern English
English
U
“A distinct alphabetic letter standardized separately from V and named /juː/.”