Bush - nature

bush

/bʊʃ/ UK /bʊʃ/ · US /bʊʃ/

A short u CVC word (ʌ) in the nature category. It belongs to the -ush word family.

nature

Hear bush

Tap a sound to hear it on its own, or play the whole word below.

How to Say “bush”

b
/b/
u
/ʊ/
sh
/ʃ/

Blend the three sounds together slowly, then speed up: /b/ – /ʊ/ – /ʃ/ → bush.

Example Sentences with Bush

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.

  1. Start with the picture: <strong>bush</strong> begins with the /b/ sound, so begin with "b".
  2. Say the word slowly three times, then write one sound per letter: <strong>b - u - sh</strong>.
  3. The "u" in <strong>bush</strong> says /ʌ/, not the letter name "uh". The mouth stays relaxed.
  4. 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.

Try it now: play the CVC flash cards and hunt for bush, or test recognition in the multiple choice quiz.

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:

See the full -ush word family →

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