Decoding exercises: "ew"

The sequence "ew" very reliably represents IPA phonetic sequence /juː/ or IPA phoneme /uː/, depending on the previous consonant. When "e" and "w" are in different syllables normally "e" is silent and "w" sounds /w/, as in "somewhere".

After /b, f, g, h, k, m, p, v/ "ew" sounds /juː/

 * few - nephew - view

After /d, n, s, t, θ, z/ "ew" sounds /juː/ or /uː/

 * dew - knew - mildew - new - stew
 * Always /juː/: Matthew

After /dʒ, l, r, ʃ, tʃ, ʒ/ "ew" sounds /uː/

 * Andrew - chew - crew - drew - flew - grew - Jew - jewel - screw

Different syllables

 * beware - elsewhere - framework - gateway - housewife - needlework - reward - somewhat - somewhere - typewriter

Spelling anomalies

 * /əʊ/: sew - sewn

Homophones

 * dew - due; flew - flu; knew - new;