mode · mood

mode /moʊd/ has a gliding diphthong — mood /muːd/ has a long pure vowel with tighter lip rounding.

These words look and feel similar, but their vowels are different. mode has a diphthong /oʊ/ — the vowel moves and glides. mood has a long pure vowel /uː/ — lips round more tightly and hold steady.

⠿ reorder

noun — a method, style, or setting — 'flight mode' · 'dark mode' · 'in full mode'

mouth shape

diphthong /oʊ/ — lips round and glide forward — like 'go', 'show', 'low'

mode

/moʊd/

vowel length

diphthong /oʊ/

⠿ reorder

noun — an emotional state — 'I'm in a good mood' · 'mood swings'

mouth shape

long /uː/ — lips round more tightly than /oʊ/ and hold steady — like 'food', 'rude', 'blue'

mood

/muːd/

vowel length

long /uː/

Key difference

mode /oʊ/: diphthong — lips start rounded and glide forward — like go, show. mood /uː/: long pure vowel — lips round tightly and stay still — like food, rude, blue.

Example sentences

mode:“Put your phone on silent mode during the meeting.”

mode:“Which transport mode do you prefer?”

mood:“She’s in a great mood today.”

mood:“The music set the mood perfectly.”

Hear it in a sentence

“The camera has a portrait mode that blurs the background automatically.”

“He was in no mood to argue after the long commute home.”

Hear it in the wild

Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.

YouGlish↗

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