English spellings/Catalogs/W

W *dúblyû ('double U'; former US President George W. Bush likes to be known as 'Dubya', a casual pronunciation of the name of the letter)

wácky cf. '''wháck

'''ẁad

'''ẁaffle

'''wág

* Wagadûgu is spelt Ouagadoûgou, in the French style

wágon - ´waggon’ is French

'''wàh-wah

wâil cry = BrE whâle sea

wâist body = wâste spend

wâit time = wèight heavy = Wâite person

wâive dismiss = wâve hand, sea

Wâles Welsh = BrE whâles sea

Walésa *Vawénsa

wålk -åk, cf. '''wörk

'''wåll

Ẁallace = Ẁallis, rhyming with '''Hóllis

Wálliams ''David

Wallônia Wó- Walloôn Wó-

ẁalrus, '''wålrus

'''Wålsåll

Wåltham -təm

wåltz *wålse

ẁan pale *wón cf. wòn win

ẁander roam *wónder, BrE = Ẁanda, cf. wònder what?

wâne less = Wâyne person = wâin wagon

ẁannabê cf. '''ẁallabỳ

ẁant desire cf. wôn’t will not

wår battle = wŏre wear

wãrehouse cf. whŏrehouse, h-

wãres market = weãrs clothes

wårhéad one word

wårm hot cf. wörm wriggle

wårn caution = wŏrn wear = Wårne person

'''wårt

ẁarrant *wórrənt

ẁarranty cf. guarantêe from same root

'''wårring

ẁarrior cf. '''wòrrier

Ẁarrington *Wórrington, cf. Dórrington, '''Nórrington

'''wårt

wårthog: accidental t and h pronounced separately

Ẁarwick *Wórrick

'''wãry

ẁas *wóz

'''ẁash

'''Ẁashington

'''ẁasp

wâste loss = wâist body

ẁatchlist one word

ẁatchtòwer one word

wåter cf. '''Wålter

ẁatt electricity = BrE ẁhat question

ẁattage *wóttij

wâvelength one word

wáxwörk one word

wê us = wêe little, toilet

wêak feeble = wêek days

wêal mark = BrE whêel traffic

'''wéapon

Wêar River = Wêir person = wêir water, rhyming with êar, hêar and '''fêar

wéars clothes = wâres shop

'''wêary

wêasel cf. '''mêasles

wéather cloudy = wéther ram = BrE whéther if

wéb net = Wébb ''person

wébsite one word

Wédgwood *Wédgewood, *wéjwùd

Wédnesday Wénz-

wèigh heavy = wây route, manner = BrE whèy curds

wèighed past = wâde ''water

wèight heavy = wâit time

wêir water = Wêir person = wê’re are, cf. wìêld, '''fìêld

wêird odd cf. wìêld carry

wê’ll shall cf. wéll good

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’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

'''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

'''whîle

'''whîlst

whîne moan BrE = wîne ''drink

whínge -nj, cf. '''wíng

'''whïrl

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

whîteẁash one word

whíther where BrE = wíther decay

Whítsun -u-

who person *hoô, cf. WHO World Health Organisation *doúble-yoû-âitch-ô

whodúnit, whodúnnit *hudúnnit, after Cockney "who done it?"

whôle all = hôle gap

wholeheàrted, h-, one word

whôlesâle, h-, one word

whôlly completely two l’s pronounced; ≈ hôly sacred – where only one l is heard

whoôping-cóugh hoô-

'''whoòps!

whoòsh rhymes with '''pùsh

whópping big BrE = Ẁapping London

whŏre prostitute = hŏar frost = Hŏare person = AmE '''hórror

whose belonging = who’s who is/has *hoôz. There is similar potential confusion as with the more notorious ít's ít ís and íts of it

whŷ reason AmE *hwŷ; BrE = Wŷe ''river

'''Wíchitå

wícked evil *wíckíd cf. '''wíki

wícked wick *wíct

Wíckham = Wýcombe *Wíkəm

wîdespréad one word

wìêld cf. wêir, '''wêird

'''Wikipêdia

wîld càrd cards, sport two words

wîldcard computing one word

wîldcát adjective one word

wíldebeest *wíldəbêast

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

wílly-nílly

wîly cunning = Wŷlie, etc. persons

wînd round

wínd blow

wíndbag one word

Wíndsor *Wínzər

wîne drink = BrE whîne moan

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

'''wók

wol- usually = woòl *wùl

wolf *wùlf = Woòlf, Wolf, Wolfe persons

Wollstonecraft Mary Woòl-

Wolseley *Wùlzly

Wolsey *Wùlzy

woman *wùmən

women *wímmin

wòn game = òne only

wònder what? cf. ẁander *wónder roam

'''wòndrous

'''wónky

wôn’t will not = wônt habit, cf. ẁant require

woòd tree = woùld if

'''Woòdàrd

Woòdward *Woòdwərd

woòl cf. Wollstonecraft, Wolsey, etc., same first vowel sound

woòlly BrE = AmE woòly wool = Woòlley person, rhyming with '''fùlly

Worcester England = Woòster Bertie *Wùster

wörd cf. '''wård

wŏre wear = wår fight

wörk cf. wålk (a British English minimal pair)

wörkingmán in AmE can be one word, BrE '''wörking mán

'''wörld

wŏrldwide one word

'''wörm

wòrry BrE; AmE '''wörry

'''wörse

wörship cf. '''wårship

'''wörst

wörsted worst

worsted cloth wû-

'''wörth

woùld if = woòd tree

would-be 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 = Róth person

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

wrést wrestle = rést repose

wrétch miserable = rétch vomit

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

wrúng wring = rúng ring, ladder

wrŷ humour = rŷe ''crop

wrŷlỳ wry = Rîley, Reîlly ''persons

'''wùff

Wŷatt *Wŷət, cf. '''whîte

Wŷe river = BrE whŷ reason