Minuscule variation of U, a modern variation of classical Latin V, from seventh century Old Latin adoption of Old Italic letter 𐌖.

1. The twenty-first letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

From Middle English - lower case letter v (also written u), from Old English - lower case u, from 7th century replacement by lower case u of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚢ, derived from Raetic letter u.

Before the 1700s, the pointed form v was written at the beginning of a word, while a rounded form u was used elsewhere, regardless of sound. So whereas valor and excuse appeared as in modern printing, have and upon were printed haue and vpon. Eventually, in the 1700s, to differentiate between the consonant and vowel sounds, the v form was used to represent the consonant, and u the vowel sound. v then preceded u in the alphabet, but the order has since reversed.

Letter name

• IPA: /ˈjuː/

Phoneme

• (Australia) IPA: /a/, /ʉː/, /ʊ/
• (RP) IPA: /ʌ/, /uː/, /ʊ/
• (America, Canada) IPA: /ʌ/, /u/, /ʊ/
• (South US) IPA: /ʌ/, /ɜ/, /uː/, /ʊ/

1. Letter of the English alphabet

   I prefer the u in Arial to the one in Times New Roman.

u (plural ues)

1. The name of the Latin script letter U
2. A thing in the shape of the letter U

• Portuguese: u
• Russian: ю
• Spanish: u

1. (Internet slang, text messaging, colloquial) Abbrev of you

   t8k me w u

1. Abbr of underwater

Abbreviations.

1. (stenoscript) a word-initial letter ⟨u⟩
2. (stenoscript) the long vowel /uː/ or /juː/ at the end of a word, or before a final consonant that is not /dʒ, v, z/. (Note: the final consonant is not written; [ʊə˞] (-ure, -oor etc.) counts as /uːr/.)

   Thus the words you, your; also derivative yours

3. (stenoscript) the prefix un-

From the ett - letter 𐌖 ("u"), from the Ancient Greek - letter Υ ("ypsilon"), derived from the Phoenician - letter 𐤅 ("waw"), from the Ancient Egyptian - hieroglyph 𓏲.

1. The twenty-first letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

Letter name

• IPA: /juː/

Phoneme

1. Letter of the English alphabet
2. Something shaped like the letter U:
   1. A U-turn ('turned a U in the road')
   2. (horticulture) A double upright cordon espalier (also double U, triple U).

An abbreviation of a word or term beginning with the letter U. Adjective sense 1 (“characteristic of the upper classes”) was coined by British linguist Alan S. C. Ross (1907–1980) in a 1954 article, and popularized by the English journalist and writer Nancy Mitford (1904–1973).

1. A U-turn.
2. Abbreviation of university
3. Abbreviation of Sunday
4. (UK) A film with the film classification U.

u (not comparable)

1. (comparable, chiefly, Britain, dated) Abbreviation of upper class

   Antonyms: non-U

   • [1956], Alan S. C. Ross, “U and non-U”, in David Milsted, Brewer’s Anthology of England and the English, page 120 ↗:

     To TAKE a bath is non-U against U to HAVE one’s bath.

   • 1956, Nancy Mitford, Noblesse Oblige: an Inquiry into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy:

     In a treatise that still causes ripples in English society, Mitford defined various terms as either U (upper class) or non-U.

2. (not comparable) Abbreviation of united
3. (not comparable) Abbreviation of upper
4. (not comparable, education, espionage) Usually in parentheses: Abbreviation of unclassified
5. (not comparable, UK) In a film certificate: Abbreviation of universal

1. (sports) Abbreviation of under
2. Abbreviation of up
3. (stenoscript) Abbreviation of under

1. A language belonging to the Austroasiatic language family which is spoken in China.

• P'uman

See Ü.

1. Alternative form of Ü
   • 1924, William Montgomery McGovern, To Lhasa in Disguise: A Secret Expedition Through Mysterious Tibet:

     Among the settled communities of Central Tibet, the Tsang dialect as spoken in Shigatse and the U dialect as spoken in Lhasa hold the field.

u (plural us)

1. An honorific to a Burmese man

   U Thant; U Nu