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 *doúble-û
wácky cf. wháck
ẁad
ẁaffle
wág
*Wagadûgu is spelt Ouagadoûgou, in the French style
wágon - ´waggon’ is French
wàh-wah
wâil cry = BrE whâle sea
wâist body = wâste spend
wâit time = wèight heavy = Wâite person
wâive dismiss = wâve hand, sea
Wâles Welsh = BrE whâles sea
wålk -åk, cf. wörk
wåll
Ẁallace = Ẁallis, rhyming with Hóllis
Wallônia Wó-
Walloôn Wó-
wålrus
Wåltham -təm
wåltz *wålse
ẁan pale *wón cf. wòn win
ẁander roam BrE = Ẁanda, cf. wònder what?
wâne less = Wâyne person = wâin wagon
ẁannabê cf. ẁallabỳ
ẁant desire cf. wôn’t will not
wår battle = wŏre wear
wãrehouse cf. whŏrehouse, h-
wãres market = weãrs clothes
wårhéad one word
wårm hot cf. wörm wriggle
wårn caution = wŏrn wear = Wårne person
wårt
ẁarrant *wórrənt
ẁarranty cf. guarantêe from same root
wårring
ẁarrior cf. wòrrier
Ẁarrington *Wórrington, cf. Dórrington, Nórrington
wårt
Ẁarwick *Wórrick
wãry
ẁas *wóz
ẁash
Ẁashington
ẁasp
wâste loss = wâist body
ẁatchtòwer one word
wåter cf. Wålter
ẁatt electricity = BrE ẁhat question
ẁattage *wóttij
wâvelength one word
wáxwörk one word
wê us = wêe little, toilet
wêak feeble = wêek days
wêal mark = BrE whêel traffic
wéapon
Wêar River = Wêir person = wêir water, rhyming with êar, hêar and fêar
wéars clothes = wâres shop
wêary
wêasel cf. mêasles
wéather cloudy = wéther ram = BrE whéther if
wéb net = Wébb person
wébsite one word
Wédgwood *Wédgewood, *wéjwùd
Wédnesday Wénz-
wèigh heavy = wây route, manner = BrE whèy curds
wèight heavy = wâit time
wêir water = Wêir person = wê’re are, cf. wìêld, fìêld
wêird odd cf. wìêld carry
wê’ll shall cf. wéll good
wén lump = BrE whén time
wëre was cf. whére place, wê’re we are
wêrewolf or wêrwolf -wùlf
wéther animal = wéather rain = BrE whéther if
wê’re we are
wh- BrE w-, AmE hw-
wháck cf. wácky
whâle sea BrE = wâil cry
whám
ẁhat question BrE = wót jocular = ẁatt electric
whêedle
whêel round BrE = wêal mark
whêelchair one word
whén time BrE = wén tumour
whére place cf. wëre was
whereás one word, *wéəráz
whérewithål
whét appetite BrE = wét water
whéther if BrE = wéather rain = wéther ram
whèy curds BrE = wèigh weight = wây method
whîne moan BrE = wîne drink
whínge -nj, cf. wíng
whïrl
whïrlwind one word
whïrr noise BrE = wëre be
whísky Scotch
whískey Bourbon, Canadian, Irish
whísper
whíst
whístle *whíssle
whít small = Whít Whitsun BrE = wít humour
whích what BrE = wítch wizard
whîlst
whîte colour BrE = Wîght Isle
whîteẁash one word
whíther where BrE = wíther decay
Whítsun -u-
who person *hoô, cf. WHO World Health Organisation *doúble-yoû-âitch-ô
whodúnit, whodúnnit *hudúnnit, after Cockney "who done it?"
whôle all = hôle gap
whôlesâle, h-, one word
whôlly completely two l’s pronounced; ≈ hôly sacred – where only one l is heard
whoôping-cóugh hoô-
whoòps!
whoòsh rhymes with pùsh
whópping big BrE = Ẁapping London
whŏre prostitute = hŏar frost = Hŏare person
whose belonging = who’s who is/has *hoôz. There is similar potential confusion as with the more notorious ít's ít ís and íts of it
whŷ reason AmE *hwŷ; BrE = Wŷe river
Wíchitå
wícked evil *wíckíd cf. wíki
wícked wick *wíct
Wíckham = Wýcombe *Wíkəm
wîdespréad one word
wìêld cf. wêir, wêird
Wikipêdia
wîld card cards, sport two words
wîldcard computing one word
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
wílly-nílly
wîly cunning = Wŷlie, etc. persons
wînd round
wínd blow
wíndbag one word
Wíndsor *Wínzə(r)
wîne drink = BrE whîne moan
Wiscónsin
wîsecrack one word
wísp
wít humour = BrE whít small = BrE Whít Whitsun
wítch wizard = BrE whích what
wítch-húnt
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
wók
wol- usually = woòl *wùl
wolf *wùlf = Woòlf, Wolf, Wolfe persons
Wollstonecraft Mary Woòl-
Wolseley *Wùlzly
Wolsey *Wùlzy
woman *wùmən
women *wímmin
wòn game = òne only
wònder what? cf. ẁander roam
wòndrous
wónky
wôn’t will not = wônt habit, cf. ẁant require
woòd tree = woùld if
woòl cf. Wollstonecraft, Wolsey, etc., same first vowel sound
woòlly BrE = AmE woòly wool = Woòlley person, rhyming with fùlly
Worcester England = Woòster Bertie *Wùster
wörd cf. wård
wŏre wear = wår fight
wörk cf. wålk
wörkingmán in AmE can be one word, BrE wörking mán
wörld
wŏrldwide one word
wörm
wòrry BrE; AmE wörry
wörse
wörship cf. wårship
wörst
wörsted worst
worsted cloth wû-
wörth
woùld if = woòd tree
would-be adjective hyphenated
woûnd injury
wòund wînd
wòw excitement cf. wôe depression
wráck pain = ráck frame, stretch
wráp parcel = ráp knock, speak
ẁrath anger = Róth person
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
wrést wrestle = rést repose
wrétch miserable = rétch vomit
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
wrúng wring = rúng ring, ladder
wrŷ humour = rŷe crop
wrŷlỳ wry = Rîley, Reîlly persons
wùff
Wŷatt *Wŷət, cf. whîte
Wŷe river = BrE whŷ reason