Decoding the letter W

The letter W, lowercase w (pronounced /ˈdʌbəljuː/) normally represents IPA phoneme /w/. For examples see IPA phoneme /w/.

Exceptions

 * Silent "w" (see also W in combinations, below)
 * answer - sword - toward /tɔːrd, təˈwɔːrd/ - towards /tɔːrdz, təˈwɔːrdz/


 * Rwanda /ruːˈɑːndə, ruːˈændə/

W in combinations

 * "aw" normally sounds /ɔː/
 * awful - draw - law - raw - saw
 * Exceptions (as "a" + "w"): away - aware - award - Delaware - Hawaii


 * "ew" normally sounds /juː/ or /uː/. See main article IPA phoneme /uː/.
 * As /uː/: blew - brew - chew - crew - drew - jewel - screw - threw
 * As /juː/ or /uː/: knew - new - stew
 * As /juː/: few


 * "ow". See main article: Decoding exercises: "ow"
 * /əʊ/: know - row - window
 * /aʊ/: brown - down - towel
 * /ɒ/: knowledge


 * "wr" sounds like "r"
 * wrap - wrapper - wrist - write - wrong


 * "wh" in contemporary English in most dialects is identical to "w".
 * what - wheel - when - where - while - whisper - white - whopper - why
 * Exceptions as /h/: who - whole - whose

Homophones

 * wheel - we'll; wrap - rap; wright - right - rite;
 * aloud - allowed; flour - flower; threw - through