pull

← Back to Sound Gym

Three back-of-the-mouth vowels, same p — l frame: pull is a short, relaxed /ʊ/, pool is a long, tight /uː/, and poll is the diphthong /oʊ/ — three distinct sounds that learners commonly flatten into one.

⠿ reorder

A hand pulling a rope or handle toward itself

verb — to drag or draw something toward you — 'pull the door open' · 'pull a rope'

mouth shape

short /ʊ/ — lips rounded but relaxed, quick — like 'put', 'book', 'full'

/pʊl/

vowel length

short /ʊ/

plays as: “pull the door open”

⠿ reorder

noun — a body of water for swimming, or a shared supply — 'a swimming pool' · 'car pool'

mouth shape

long /uː/ — lips round tightly and hold — like 'moon', 'food', 'choose'

pool

/puːl/

vowel length

long /uː/

plays as: “a swimming pool”

⠿ reorder

A survey or voting form, representing a poll

noun — a survey of opinion, or the process of voting — 'a public opinion poll' · 'go to the polls'

mouth shape

diphthong /oʊ/ — lips round and glide forward — like 'boat', 'coat', 'goat'

poll

/poʊl/

vowel length

diphthong /oʊ/

plays as: “an opinion poll”

Vowel comparison

pull

/ʊ/

SHORT, relaxed

put · book · full

pool

/uː/

LONG, tight

moon · food · choose

poll

/oʊ/

GLIDING diphthong

boat · coat · goat

Key difference

pull /ʊ/: short and relaxed, lips barely round. pool /uː/: long, lips round tightly and hold. poll /oʊ/: the vowel moves — it glides forward, a diphthong, not a pure vowel at all.

Example sentences

pull:“Pull the door, don’t push it.”

pool:“We swam in the pool all afternoon.”

poll:“The poll shows most people support the plan.”

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↗

▶

pull

Hear native speakers say “pull” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.

Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.

NPRTEDBBClectures