English spellings/Catalogs/W

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Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
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]

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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

Wálliams David

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; some dialects of New Zealand and South Africa = woman *wùmən

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