Hwat do you think?

[Vort]

Do you pronounce "wh-" as "hw-" or simply as "w-"? Are the following word pairs homophones when you say them?

• "What" and "watt"
• "Where" and "wear"
• "When" and "wen"
• "Why" and "Y"
• "Which" and "witch"

I remember specifically being taught in elementary school that "wh-" was pronounced "hw-". Everyone in my family (brothers and sisters) speak this way. But an in-law once commented that we were the only ones, and no one else pronounced "what" as "hwat". I doubt he is literally correct, but how common or uncommon is the "wh-" pronunciation? Edited November 28, 2012 by Vort

[slamjet]

Wha?

[MorningStar]

Hwat the hweck?

[Maureen]

I've always pronounced the "wh" of words as if the "h" is silent. I've never heard of the "hw" way unless this is the same way Stewie Griffin pronounces it.

M.

[Guest]

As a wanna-be singer, I find myself fighting the tendency to pronounce it "hw" when singing. I always thought that was a rural Idaho dialect thing I picked up from my mom.

[Anddenex]

I am in accordance with the same understanding as Maureen. I remember being taught that the "h" was silent also.

[Dravin]

All of those words are homophones with respect to the w/wh for me.

Edited November 28, 2012 by Dravin

[Vort]

D'oh. I thought "homophones" and typed "synonyms". Corrected. I hate when I do that.

[classylady]

Do you pronounce "wh-" as "hw-" or simply as "w-"? Are the following word pairs homophones when you say them?

• "What" and "watt"
• "Where" and "wear"
• "When" and "wen"
• "Why" and "Y"
• "Which" and "witch"

I remember specifically being taught in elementary school that "wh-" was pronounced "hw-". Everyone in my family (brothers and sisters) speak this way. But an in-law once commented that we were the only ones, and no one else pronounced "what" as "hwat". I doubt he is literally correct, but how common or uncommon is the "wh-" pronunciation?

I've never pronounced "wh-" with "hw-". I'm originally from California, so I don't believe I have some strange dialect.

Except for "what" and "watt", the list of word pairs are homophones for me.

[annewandering]

I was taught it is wh, a sound that is like blowing out when saying it. What is blow wh at. Watt is just wa tt. I have never heard it was supposed to be hw. Ever.

[Dravin]

BTW, if people want to do this conversation all technical like: International Phonetic Alphabet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Vort]

I was taught it is wh, a sound that is like blowing out when saying it. What is blow wh at. Watt is just wa tt. I have never heard it was supposed to be hw. Ever.

Well, that's what I mean by "hw". I mean it's more a voiceless blow, aspirated like an "h" but with the lips formed to pronounce "oo".

[Anddenex]

I've never pronounced "wh-" with "hw-". I'm originally from California, so I don't believe I have some strange dialect.

Except for "what" and "watt", the list of word pairs are homophones for me.

Where in the US would you need to be from in order to be considered as one with a "strange dialect"...hmm?

Utah

[Guest]

Well, that's what I mean by "hw". I mean it's more a voiceless blow, aspirated like an "h" but with the lips formed to pronounce "oo".

I had to take several semesters of speech classes as part of our yearly English courses... and the h is not silent. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by hw... but, if it's the same as wh (blowing air while saying the w) then that's what I was taught.

In my speech class, you hold a piece of paper close to your mouth and say Watt - the paper shouldn't move. But when you say What - it is supposed to move, even if you don't hear the difference.

This is also the same difference as the Filipino letter P or T versus the American letter P or T. The Filipino P or T will not move the paper. The American way of pronouncing those letters is "with air" so that when you say Talk, you're actually saying T-h-alk or when you say Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper, the paper should be moving constantly. So, in reverse, you can tell the speaker is not Filipino when you hear "air blowing out" with the letters.

Disclaimer: My high school speech teacher is not very good with her speech. I caught her reading "The day is cold and dark and dreary... and the wend is neever weary." when she was not paying attention to what she's saying...

And then, I have this World History teacher who brags that he's better at English than our speech teacher who said in class... "The caucasian race are noted for their high and naroo checkboones."

LOL.

[Backroads]

When I was teaching 1st grade, I taught them the "hw" sound, but never really enforced it.

[Dravin]

When I was teaching 1st grade, I taught them the "hw" sound, but never really enforced it.

Did you enforce the "t" in mountain?

[Backroads]

Did you enforce the "t" in mountain?

Hey, I taught in Utah. I wasn't that wild a teacher.

[pam]

After a lengthy choir rehearsal where we have to do the hw thing..I find my self doing it..but only for a short time.

[Anddenex]

Hey, I taught in Utah. I wasn't that wild a teacher.

Yes, in Utah, where creek is crick...hehe

[john doe]

This is America. We use the 'h'. And we don't say 'woo' when we speak the word 'who' either.

[Sali]

I have only really heard the 'hw' sound in Idaho and Utah. It is not used in the South where I live and is never used in the UK either. It is very prominent whilst listening to General Conference.:)

[Connie]

My mother says she was taught to pronouce "wh" as "hw." My hubby does it too, and his mother taught English for years. I think it sounds funny.

My understanding is that the Old English word was actually spelled with the H first. I found this blog post that says the same. It was an interesting read.

[Anddenex]

This is America. We use the 'h'. And we don't say 'woo' when we speak the word 'who' either.

Thus "what" would actually be "hat", the "w" silent, and "when" would be "hen", and "which" would be "hich".

[Bini]

Anatess, I totally follow you on that - ha!

I've heard people pronounce it that way, especially, here in Utah. Haven't noticed it many other places, if, at all.. I have a British accent and although I maintain most British pronunciations, I found that I go along with pronouncing "hurricane" as "hurr'can", just like the locals in southern Utah :)

[Guest]

Anatess, I totally follow you on that - ha!

I've heard people pronounce it that way, especially, here in Utah. Haven't noticed it many other places, if, at all.. I have a British accent and although I maintain most British pronunciations, I found that I go along with pronouncing "hurricane" as "hurr'can", just like the locals in southern Utah :)

LOL!!! It took me a while to learn to say hurricane (the way they say it in Florida) instead of you-ri-cane - which I would still rather say Typhoon because it is much easier to pronounce. My mom, of course, says Tai-poon.

I just fell off my chair laughing thinking about my mother...