>>>>Weird. To me, it is:
>>>>
>>>>tool, pool, spool, rule, school, fool (not like wool)
>>>
>>>The jocks say "wool" like "spool"
>>>
>>>>pull, bull, null, wolf
>>>
>>>Not quite the same. The "u" is gently and slightly pronounced. "Wool" comes out on me more of a slight bass growl in the throat. However, as I said, "u" and "oo" (as in wood) are all the same to my accent.
>>
>>Finally. Yes, that's how I learned that - except there's a length. You have a short one in pull, bull, wolf and a long one in wool, fool, moot, root, hoot, boot, clue, do. My question was how would you write the short one so that it's not read as either uh nor yoo nor oo, but just as a short {...} as in pull, bull, wolf. Now you supply a character of two to replace the braces.
>
>You pronounce 'wool' the same as 'fool' ??

Seems a little woolish to me, too.