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    Pronunciation · consonant

    The /w/ sound: w as in we

    In short

    /w/ is a labial-velar approximant, the consonant you hear in we, away, quick. It is voiced: your vocal cords vibrate while you make it. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

    How to pronounce /w/

    1. 1Round your lips into a tight circle, as if about to whistle.
    2. 2Raise the back of your tongue and glide into the next vowel.
    3. 3Your top teeth must NOT touch your bottom lip; that makes a v.

    Sounds like: a quick 'oo' gliding into the next sound

    /w/ in words, with audio

    Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

    • wewiː · sound is initial
    • awayəˈweɪ · sound is medial
    • quickkwɪk · sound is medial
    • workwɜːk · sound is initial
    • alwaysˈɔːlweɪz · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Merging it with /v/ so 'west' sounds like 'vest' and 'wine' like 'vine', a signature error for Hindi, Urdu, German and Russian speakers. The fix is fully rounded lips, no teeth contact.

    Who struggles with this sound:

    • Hindi speakers: v and w merge into one sound: 'west' and 'vest', 'wine' and 'vine' are identical
    • Urdu speakers: v and w merge: 'vest'/'west', 'vine'/'wine' are indistinguishable
    • Bengali speakers: /w/ weakens to a vowel glide: 'would' loses its onset
    • Russian speakers: v and w confused in both directions: 'vest'/'west', and hyper-corrected 'vodka' → 'wodka'
    • Turkish speakers: v and w merge into one sound: 'vest'/'west' indistinguishable
    • Farsi speakers: no /w/ in Farsi: 'we' → 've', 'wine' → 'vine'

    Spellings of /w/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /w/: w wh u o. English spelling is unreliable; trust the IPA, not the letters.

    Don't confuse it with…

    Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast, the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.

    Words that drill /w/

    Each has a full breakdown, audio in both accents and a recording drill. Practising a sound inside a real word transfers better than practising it alone.

    segueSEG-wayWednesdayWENZ-dayworldWURLDwomenWIM-inchoirKWY-uhquestionnairekwes-chuh-NAIRcroissantKWAS-onquinoaKEEN-wah

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /w/ sound?
    Round your lips into a tight circle, as if about to whistle. Raise the back of your tongue and glide into the next vowel. Your top teeth must NOT touch your bottom lip; that makes a v.
    What is the most common mistake with /w/?
    Merging it with /v/ so 'west' sounds like 'vest' and 'wine' like 'vine', a signature error for Hindi, Urdu, German and Russian speakers. The fix is fully rounded lips, no teeth contact.
    Which spellings make the /w/ sound?
    Common spellings include “w”, “wh”, “u”, “o”, as in we /wiː/, away /əˈweɪ/, quick /kwɪk/.
    Does /w/ matter for IELTS?
    Yes. This is a high-priority sound. Errors here frequently change one word into another, which examiners hear as reduced clarity (the exact Band 6 wording is “mispronunciation … reduces clarity at times”).

    Next step

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