How is “route” pronounced?

I was taught that in English, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 having the “e” on the end changes the sound of the “ou” from the hard “ow” to the softer “oo”.

Americans pronounce “route” as “rowt “ but the English pronounce it as “root”.

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HiFiRaver · 18-21, M

I tend to say "root" when referring to the name of a highway. Like, it's "State Root 1", not "State Rowt 1"; the latter sounds wrong to me.

But in terms of internet traffic or finding a route on Google Maps, I more often say "rowt".

"Root" seems to be the only standard pronunciation in the UK, but both are considered standard in the US.