Editing U

[[Image:Proto-semiticW-01.svg|thumb|Proto-semiticW-01|right]] [[File:PhoenicianW-01.svg|thumb|PhoenicianW-01|left]] [[Image:Phoenician waw.svg|thumb|Phoenician waw.svg]] [[Image:Early Aramaic character - vav.svg|thumb|Early Aramaic character - vav|right]] [[File:Latin letter U.svg|thumb|Latin letter U|right]] [[File:Pronunciation of the name of the letter (u) in European languages.png|thumb|Pronunciation of the name of the letter (u) in European languages.png]] {{clear}}== U ==
'''U''' is the 21st letter and the fifth vowel in the modern [[English alphabet]] and the [[ISO basic Latin alphabet]]. Its name in English is pronounced /ˈjuː/, similar to the pronoun "you". The letter U is derived from the [[Phoenician alphabet]] and has a rich history in various languages and scripts.
=== History ===
The letter U originated from the [[Phoenician letter]] waw, which also gave rise to the letters [[F]], [[V]], [[W]], and [[Y]]. The [[Greek alphabet]] adapted waw as the letter [[upsilon]], which in turn influenced the [[Etruscan alphabet]] and the [[Latin alphabet]]. In the early Latin alphabet, the letter V was used to represent both the vowel /u/ and the consonant /v/. It wasn't until the Middle Ages that the distinction between U and V became standardized, with U representing the vowel sound and V representing the consonant sound.
=== Usage in English ===
In modern English, U is used to represent several sounds, including the long /uː/ as in "blue," the short /ʌ/ as in "cup," and the diphthong /juː/ as in "use." The letter U is also used in various digraphs, such as "ou" in "house" and "au" in "autumn."
=== Other Languages ===
In many other languages that use the [[Latin alphabet]], U represents the close back rounded vowel /u/. In some languages, such as [[French language|French]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]], U can also appear with diacritical marks, such as "ù," "ú," and "ü," to indicate different pronunciations or to distinguish between homophones.
=== Scientific and Technical Uses ===
In [[science]] and [[mathematics]], the letter U is used as a symbol for various concepts:
* In [[physics]], U often represents [[potential energy]].
* In [[chemistry]], U is the symbol for the element [[uranium]].
* In [[mathematics]], U is used to denote the [[union (set theory)|union]] of sets.
=== Computing ===
In [[Unicode]], the capital letter U is encoded at U+0055 and the lowercase u at U+0075. The letter U is also used in various programming languages and computer science concepts.
=== Related Letters and Characters ===
* [[V]]
* [[W]]
* [[Y]]
* [[Upsilon]]
=== See Also ===
* [[English alphabet]]
* [[Latin alphabet]]
* [[Phoenician alphabet]]
* [[Greek alphabet]]
* [[Etruscan alphabet]]
[[Category:Latin letters]]
[[Category:Vowels]]
[[Category:English alphabet]]
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