bush
/bʊʃ/ UK /bʊʃ/ · US /bʊʃ/
A short u CVC word (ʌ) in the nature category. It belongs to the -ush word family.
natureHear bush
Tap a sound to hear it on its own, or play the whole word below.
How to Say “bush”
Blend the three sounds together slowly, then speed up: /b/ – /ʊ/ – /ʃ/ → bush.
Example Sentences with Bush
- Rose bush.
- Behind the bush.
- The push and the bush both end with the same sound.
- Say "bush" slowly, then say it as one word.
How to Spell “bush”
Children most often write this word as boosh, bus, ubsh, bushh. Those errors are useful — each one points to a specific sound the child has not yet connected to a letter.
- Start with the picture: <strong>bush</strong> begins with the /b/ sound, so begin with "b".
- Say the word slowly three times, then write one sound per letter: <strong>b - u - sh</strong>.
- The "u" in <strong>bush</strong> says /ʌ/, not the letter name "uh". The mouth stays relaxed.
- The ending "<strong>sh</strong>" is one sound (/ʃ/). Two letters, one sound — do not let the child say two sounds there.
Phonics Tip for Bush
"bush" and "push" share the ending /ʊʃ/. Say them back to back so the child hears that only the first sound changes. That is the core of the -ush family.
Fun Facts About Bush
Every letter in <strong>bush</strong> carries one sound: b says /b/, u says /ʊ/, sh says /ʃ/. That is what makes it fully decodable — a child who knows the three sounds can read <strong>bush</strong> on the first try, with no guessing from the picture. It belongs to the -ush family, which has 1 other word in it: push.
More Words in the -ush Family
Words that rhyme with bush and end with the same sounds:
Related CVC Words
More words with the short u sound that have their own picture guide:
Other Word Families
Move between families:
Where to Practise Bush
- All short u CVC words — 47 words
- The -ush word family
- CVC flash cards — picture cards with audio
- CVC multiple choice quiz
- CVC sentences — read the word in context
- CVC worksheets