The W Game

The “W” Game is a competitive pronunciation game based on finding as many words as possible (with or without a time limit) beginning with the letter “w”.

The words below (teacher's list) are divided into two groups: low to intermediate levels, and another group for advanced learners. It goes without saying, of course, that the advanced group must also come up with all the words in the first group... There are quite a few homophones (flagged with an asterisk if of different levels), some contractions, and a few tricky words, i.e. those that begin with w as a silent letter (shown in brackets). It can be played in teams or by individuals pitting their wits against one another. Note the two different pronunciations of wind and wound. An optional "extension" is to accept past tense forms of any verbs that crop up, i.e. weighed, which is a homophone of wade, etc.

/aɪ/
See main article IPA phoneme /aɪ/.
 * beginner and intermediate; while - white - why - wide - wife - wild - wine* - wire - (write);
 * advanced: whine* - whiting - wind - wipe - wise - (writhe);

/eɪ/
See main article IPA phoneme /eɪ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: wage - waist/waste - wait/weight - wake - Wales/whales - wave* - way/weigh;
 * advanced: wade - wane - waive* - waiver;

/ʌ/
See main article IPA phoneme /ʌ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: won - wonder - worry
 * advanced:

/ɜ:/
See main article IPA phoneme /ɜː/.''
 * beginner and intermediate: were - word - work - world - worry - worse - worst - worth;
 * advanced: worsen

/ɪ/
See main article IPA phoneme /ɪ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: which/witch - wicked - will - win - wind - window - wing - winner - winter - wish - wisper - with - witness - women - (wrinkle) - (wrist) - (written);
 * advanced: whim - whinge - whistle - whittle - whip - wick - wicket - widow - width - wig - willow - winch - wink - wit - (writ);

/e/
See main article IPA phoneme /e/.
 * beginner and intermediate: wealth - weather* - wedding - Wednesday - welcome - well - wellies - went - west - wet - when - (wrestling);
 * advanced: weapon - weld - whether* - wed - wedge - (wreck) - (wren) - (wrench);

/ɒ/
See main article IPA phoneme /ɒ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: wallet - want - was - wash - watch - what - (wrong);
 * advanced: wad - wander - warrior;

/iː/
See main article IPA phoneme /iː/.
 * beginner and intermediate: we* - weak/week - we'd* - wheat - we'll/wheel
 * advanced: weasel - wee* - weed* - (wreath);

/ɔ:/
See main article IPA phoneme /ɔː/.
 * beginner and intermediate: wall - walk - war - ward - warm - warmth - warn - warning - water;
 * advanced: warp - wart - wharf;

/ʊ/
See main article IPA phoneme /ʊ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: wolf - woman - wood/would - wool;
 * advanced: woof - woofer;

/eə/
See main article IPA phoneme /eə/.
 * beginner and intermediate: wear/where
 * advanced: wary;

/əʊ/
See main article IPA phoneme /əʊ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: (whole) - won’t
 * advanced: woe;

/ɪə/
See main articleIPA phoneme /ɪə/.
 * beginner and intermediate: weird - we're;
 * advanced: weary;

/aʊ/
See main article IPA phoneme /aʊ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: without - wow;
 * advanced: wound;

/æ/
See main article IPA phoneme /æ/.
 * beginner and intermediate: (wrap) - (wrapper);
 * advanced: WAN (wide area network)

/uː/
See main article IPA phoneme /uː/.
 * beginner and intermediate: (who) - (who'll) - (who'd) - (who's) - (whose) - wound;
 * advanced: woo.