Semi-vowel: w sound /w/
Listen to the w sound
How to pronounce the w sound
The w sound is created with the jaw mostly closed and the lips formed in a small, tight circle. The sound is voiced, so the vocal cords must vibrate during the production of the sound.
The w sound is very similar to the vowel oo sound. The only difference is that the lips are slightly more closed when making the w sound, and the w sound cannot create a syllable as a vowel sound can.
Common w sound spellings
[1] wr spelling
When the w is followed by an r (as in the words write, wrap, and wrist) the w+r combination is more likely to be pronounced as an r sound, not a w sound.
[2] wh spelling:
The letters wh are more likely to be pronounced as an h sound when they are followed by the oo sound (such as the word who) or the long o sound (such as the word whole).
[3] qu spelling:
The qu spelling is not strictly a w sound, but is rather a w sound preceded by a k sound.
The w sound in suffixes |
| none |
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