English spellings/Catalogs/W
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| Common misspellings |
This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with W. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.
For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.[e]
W *dúblyû ("doúble Û"; former US President George W. Bush—son of former President George Bush, who therefore and thereafter became known as George H.W. Bush—likes to be known as Dúbya, a casual pronunciation of the name of the letter)
wácky cf. wháck
ẁad
wâde water = Wâde = wèighed weigh
ẁaffle
wág
*Wagadûgu is spelt Ouagadoûgou, in the French style
Wágner, but *Vàgner for Richard, the composer
wágon ("waggon" is French)
Wahhàbi
wàh-wah
wâin cart = wâne smaller = Wâin = Wâyne
wâil cry = BrE whâle sea
wâist body = wâste spend
wâit time = wèight heavy = Wâite person
wâiter
wâive dismiss = wâve hand, sea
Wâles Welsh = wâils cries = BrE whâles sea
Walésa *Vawénsa
wålk -åk, cf. wörk
wåll
Ẁallace = Ẁallis, rhyming with Hóllis
Wallônia Wó-
Walloôn Wó-
ẁalrus, wålrus
Wålsåll
Wålsh
Wåltham -təm
wåltz *wålse
ẁan pale *wón cf. wòn win
ẁand
ẁander roam *wónder, BrE = Ẁanda, cf. wònder what?
wâne less = Wâyne Wâin, persons = wâin wagon
ẁannabê person, cf. ẁanna bê want to be, ẁallabỳ
ẁant desire cf. wôn’t will not
wår battle = wŏre wear
wårble
wãrehouse cf. whŏrehouse, h-
wãres market = weãrs clothes
wårhéad one word
Wårhôl
wårm hot cf. wörm wriggle
wårn caution = wŏrn wear = Wårne person
Wårner
wårp
ẁarrant BrE *wórrənt, AmE *wårrənt
ẁarranty cf. guarantêe from same root
wårring
ẁarrior cf. wòrrier
Ẁarrington *Wórrington, cf. Dórrington, Nórrington
wårt
wårthog: accidental t and h pronounced separately
wårtîme one word
Ẁarwick *Wórrick
wãry
ẁas *wóz
ẁash
Ẁashington
ẁasp
wâste loss = wâist body
ẁatchlist one word
ẁatchtòwer one word
wåter cf. Wålter, wâiter
Ẁatson
ẁatt electricity = BrE ẁhat question
ẁattage *wóttij
wâvelength one word
wáxwörk one word
wê us = wêe little, toilet = Wiê = Wìi
wêak feeble = wêek days
wêal mark = BrE whêel traffic
Wêald England = wìêld
wéapon
wéar clothes = BrE whére place
Wêar River = Wêir person = wêir water, rhyming with êar, hêar and fêar
wêaried weary
wéaring
wéars clothes = wãres shop
wêary
wêasel cf. mêasles
wéather cloudy = wéther ram = BrE whéther if
wéb net = Wébb person
Wèbern *Vâybërn, Vâybən
wébsite one word
Wédgwood *Wédgewood, *wéjwùd
Wédnesday Wénz-
wèigh heavy = wây route, manner = BrE whèy curds
wèighed past = wâde water = Wâde
wèight heavy = wâit time
Weîll = vîle disgusting
wêir water = Wêir person = wê’re are, cf. wìêld, fìêld
wêird odd cf. wìêld carry
wélcome = Wéllcome
*Wéllbeck Ouellebecq
Wélles Orson = Wélls = wélls
wén lump = BrE whén time
wëre was = BrE whïrr noise, cf. whére place, wê’re we are
wêrewolf or wêrwolf -wùlf
wéstern west = Wéstern genre
wéther animal = wéather rain = BrE whéther if
wê’ll shall cf. wéll good
wê’re we are, cf. wëre was, whére place
wh- BrE w-, AmE hw-
wháck cf. wácky
whâle sea BrE = wâil cry
whám
ẁhat question BrE = wót jocular = ẁatt electric
whatsoéver
whêedle
whêel round BrE = wêal mark
whêelchair one word
whén time BrE = wén tumour
whére place cf. wëre was
whereás one word, *wéəráz
wheréver
whérewithål
whét appetite BrE = wét water
whéther if BrE = wéather rain = wéther ram
whèy curds BrE = wèigh weight = wây method
whích what BrE = wítch wizard
Whíg Liberal BrE = wíg hair
whîle (a whîle = awhîle, though usage is quite different: see the latter's entry)
whîlst
whímper cf. wímp
whîne moan BrE = wîne drink
whínge -nj, cf. wíng
whïrl round = whörl spiral
whïrlwind one word
whïrr noise BrE = wëre be
whísk
whísker
whískey Bourbon, Canadian, Irish
whísky Scotch
whísper
whíst
whístle *whíssle
whít small = Whít Whitsun BrE = wít humour
whîte colour BrE = Wîght Isle
Whîtehouse person = Whîte Hòuse USA
whîteẁash one word
whíther where BrE = wíther decay
Whítsun -u-
who person *hoô, cf. WHO World Health Organisation *doúble-yoû-âitch-ô
whôa stop BrE = wôe sad
whodúnit, whodúnnit *hudúnnit, after Cockney "who done it?"
whôle all = hôle gap
wholeheàrted, h-, one word
whôlesâle, h-, one word
whôlly completely: both l’s pronounced; ≈ hôly sacred – where only one l is heard
whoôp (= hoôp circle), whoòp; or h-
whoôping-cóugh hoô-
whoòps!
whoòsh rhymes with pùsh
whópping big BrE = Ẁapping London
whŏre prostitute = hŏar frost = Hŏare person = AmE hórror
whörl spiral = whïrl round
whose belonging = who's who is/has *hoôz: as with the more notorious íts of it and ít's it is/has
whŷ reason AmE *hwŷ; BrE = Wŷe river
*wích: a very common misspelling, especially by non-anglophones, of whích, perhaps influenced by the spelling of wíth, and maybe also by Ípswich, etc.
Wíchitå
wícked evil *wíckíd cf. wíki
wícked wick *wíct
Wíckham = Wýcombe *Wíkəm
wîdespréad one word
Wídnes makes a minimal pair with wítness
wìêld = Wêald, cf. wêir, wêird
wîfî
wíg head = BrE Whíg politics
Wígan
wíkì rhymes with stícky
WíkiLeaks: "camel case" L
Wikipêdia: capital W
wîld càrd cards, sport two words
wîldcard computing one word
wîldcát adjective one word
wíldebeest *wíldəbêast
wílderness
wîles stratagems cf. whîle during
wílful in AmE can be wíllful, which is unusual: in most words it is the BrE spelling which has the double l before a suffix, as in dîalling
wíll verb = Wíll William
will-o'-the-wísp *wíllədhə-wísp
Wíllesden *Wílsdon
wílly-nílly
wîly cunning = Wŷlie
wímp cf. whímper
wînd round
wínd blow
wíndbag one word
Wíndsor *Wínzər
wîne drink = BrE whîne moan
wínter = Wíntour
wîred makes a minimal pair with wêird
Wísbêch *Wízbêech
Wiscónsin
wîsecrack one word
wísp
wít humour = BrE whít small = BrE Whít Whitsun
wítch wizard = BrE whích what
wítch-húnt may appear without its hyphen: wítchhúnt
wíther decay = BrE whíther where
withhéld second h aspirated
withhôld second h aspirated
withín one word
withòut one word
Wodehouse PG = Woòdhouse Emma, etc.
wôe sad = BrE whôa horse, cf. wòw surprise
wók
Wôking
wol- usually = woòl *wùl
wolf *wùlf = Woòlf, Wolf, Wolfe, Woòlfe persons
Wollstonecraft Mary Woòl-
Wolseley *Wùlzly
Wolsey *Wùlzy
woman *wùmən
womb *woôm, rhymes with roôm
women *wímmin
wòn game = òne only
wònder what? cf. ẁander *wónder roam
wònderlánd
wòndrous
wónky
wôn't will not = wônt habit, cf. ẁant require
woòd tree = woùld if
Woòdàrd
Woòdward *Woòdwərd
woòf dog, fabric = wùff dog
woòl cf. Wollstonecraft, Wolsey, etc., same first vowel sound
woòllen BrE = AmE woòlen
woòlly BrE = AmE woòly wool = Woòlley person, rhyming with fùlly
Worcester England = Woòster Bertie *Wùster
wörd cf. wård
wŏre wear = wår fight
wörk makes a British English minimal pair with wålk (BrE *wök and *wŏk)
wörkingmán in AmE can be one word, BrE wörking mán
wörld makes a BrE minimal pair with wålled
Wörld Wår II the Second World War *Tû: not '2', but pronounced 'Two'; cf. II pronounced 'The Second' following the names of monarchs and popes, etc. (similarly with WWI)
wŏrldwide one word
wörm
wòrry BrE; AmE wörry
wörse
wörship cf. wårship
wörst
wörsted worst, wool -íd
wörth
woùld if = woòd tree
woùld-bê adjective hyphenated
woûnd injury
wòund wînd
wòw excitement cf. wôe depression
wráck pain = ráck frame, stretch
wrâith ghost = Râith Rovers
wráp parcel = ráp knock, speak
ẁrath anger BrE = Róth person; AmE wráth
wrêak make = rêek smell, cf. wréck collapse, réckless careless
wrêath noun unvoiced th as in bréath, different vowel sound
wrêathe verb voiced th, as in brêathe
wréck cf. réckless
wrécks = Réx
wrést wrestle = rést repose
wrétch miserable = rétch vomit
Wréxham
wrîght artesan as in plâywright; = Wrîght person = wrîte letter = rîght side, correct = rîte ritual
wríng squeeze = ríng finger, bell
wrínkle cf. ránkle
wrîte written = wrîght etc.
wróngdoing noun one word, *róngdûing
wróng-foòt verb
wrôte write = rôte learning
Wrotham Kent *Roôtəm
wrúng wring = rúng ring, ladder
wrŷ humour = rŷe crop
wrŷlỳ wry = Rîley, Reîlly
wùff dog = woòf fabric, dog
Wŷatt *Wŷət, cf. whîte
Wýcombe High = Wíckham West
Wŷe river = BrE whŷ reason
Wýndham