Lesson 21:
W Sound
w
(wow, quit, where)
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The W sound can be found in American English words such as woman,
below, win, why, where, quick,
and quiet, and one.
How to Pronounce the W Sound
The
W sound is a voiced sound. That means that the vocal cords vibrate when you make that sound. In the English
language, we use many voiced sounds.
To correctly pronounce the W sound, form
your lips into a small, tight circle. It
is important to hold your lips correctly. Imagine whistling or blowing out a
candle. Use the same shape to form the letter W.
Your jaw should be mostly closed to make the sound, but your teeth should not
touch.
You should practice
the W sound in front of a mirror to make sure you are holding your lips
correctly. This is not a natural sound for many non-native speakers to make.
There are three common ways to make the W sound: w, wh, and qu.
W = /w/:
The most common way to spell the W
sound is with a W. The W can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.
1) wow
2) woman
3) wife
4) now
5) flower
6) know
7) sweet
8) win
9) rewind
10) row
11) flow
12) towel
13) winter
Wh = /w/:
The W sound is also
sometimes spelled with the letters WH.
1) why
2) where
3) when
4) while
5) what
6) white
Important note: Not all WH
words are pronounced as a W sound. When the WH is followed by the OO sound or the Long O sound, it is
usually pronounced as an H only (like in the words her and him).
Examples: (say these words with an H sound.)
1) who (WH + OO)
2) whom (WH + OO)
3) whole (WH + Long O)
Qu
= /kw/:
The qu spelling is
a K sound followed by a W sound.
1) quit
2) quick
3) quite
4) quiet
5) queen
Here
two more words that have the W sound that do not follow the spelling
rules above. The W sound is in bold print.
1) one
2) choir
Listen carefully!
The
W sound is very similar to the OO sound in English.
They sound almost the same! The only difference is that the lips are a
little more closed when forming the W sound.
Let's practice the W sound and OO sound side-by-side.
W sound |
OO sound |
won |
moon |
quick |
noon |
now |
flu |
flower |
rude |
why |
balloon |
Now say these sentences out loud (the W sounds are bold):
1) Quick! Where is my wife?
2) I saw the queen in the winter.
3) We will win now.
4) Will the woman be quiet?
5) Now, what is that white flower?
7) William won the quick race.
8) I know he quit the choir.
9) Where is the wonderful queen?
10) Why doesn't this one taste sweet?
Have you finished them
all! Great job! Continue to practice the W sound in front of a mirror to make
sure you are doing it correctly.
Well done! You have
completed this lesson.. J