What is the /w/ Sound?
First, let's look at a few examples of words with the English /w/ sound:
- win
- web
- wolf
- away
- own
- swamp
According to Baruch College's Tools for Clear Speech, the /w/ sound is made by doing the following:
"Start by rounding your lips into an “O” shape. Vibrate your vocal cords, and widen your lips, spreading them into the shape of whatever vowel follows the /w/ in the word.."
If you need more help articulating the /w/ sound, check out this video to learn the correct tongue and mouth placement.
Practicing the /w/ Sound
Everything you need to pronounce the English /w/ sound correctly is on this page. Just follow the instructions.
What do you have to do?
Practice for 5 minutes a day for 7 days.
That’s it.
Your goal is to pronounce the /w/ sound clearly and easily by the end of day 7.
Let’s do it!
This guide to the American English /w/ sound is full of useful information. Click the link below to jump to the part you are looking for:
- Day 1 of the /w/ sound
- Day 2 of the /w/ sound
- Day 3 of the /w/ sound
- Day 4 of the /w/ sound
- Day 5 of the /w/ sound
- Day 6 of the /w/ sound
- Day 7 of the /w/ sound
- Additional /w/ sound resources
- PDF download of the /w/ sound
Day 1: The /w/ Sound
If you are ready, let’s start with the practice for day one.
It’s pretty simple.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /w/ sound and similar sounds like /v/ or /g/.
- vie - why
- vow - wow
- gun - one
- gall - wall
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- won - ween - wane - wine
- sway - swear - swore
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- wallpaper
- swimming
- anyway
- waterfall
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Let me help you with the wallpaper.
- How about we go swimming?
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear
- Where was the washerwoman?
Day 2: The /w/ Sound
Just like day one, except simpler.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /w/ sound and similar sounds like /r/ or /v/.
- run - one
- rig - wig
- vet - wet
- vile - while
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- wear - war - way
- wish - wash - woosh
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- waiter
- acquire
- sidewalk
- crossword
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Should he be doing that anyway?
- I want to go to the waterfall.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- What vows would you verse to wow a nurse?
- Be wary when various wares are everywhere.
Day 3: The /w/ Sound
Today will be the last day you only listen and repeat.
Tomorrow, you will have to start to speak.
But let’s focus on today.
Just like yesterday, watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /w/ sound and similar sounds like /r/ or //.
- rink - wink
- rag - wag
- gill - will
- gag- wag
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- whale - will - wall
- wait - wit - wheat - wet
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- elsewhere
- wishful
- workaholic
- wasted
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Could you call the waiter over?
- Why did you waste so much?
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /w/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- I went away to Venice and was very wary.
- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
Day 4: The /w/ Sound
Time to speak.
You will notice that these are the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day one.
Today, your job is different.
Open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing and speak.
Watch the video to see how it works.
- vie - why
- vow - wow
- gun - one
- gall - wall
- win - won - ween - wane - wine
- sway - swear - swore
- wallpaper
- swimming
- anyway
- waterfall
- Let me help you with the wallpaper.
- How about we go swimming?
- Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear
- Where was the washerwoman?
Day 5: The /w/ Sound
Let’s revisit the words, phrases, and sentences you practiced on day two.
Just like yesterday, open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing, and get ready to speak.
Let’s do it!
- run - one
- rig - wig
- vet - wet
- vile - while
- woo - wear - wore - war - way - weir
- wish - wash - woosh
- waiter
- acquire
- sidewalk
- crossword
- Should he be doing that anyway?
- I want to go to the waterfall.
- What vows would you verse to wow a nurse?
- Be wary when various wares are everywhere.
TIP*** Are there some words that the computer does not understand no matter how many times you say them? No worries, just skip it and move on. No one is perfect.
Day 6: The /w/ Sound
You are so close to day 7.
Be proud that you have made it this far :)
In today’s lesson, let’s circle back to the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day three and practice saying them aloud.
Again, open up a Google Doc and let’s get started.
- rink - wink
- rag - wag
- gill - will
- gag - wag
- whale - while - will - wall - whirl
- wait - white - wit - wheat - wet
- elsewhere
- wishful
- workaholic
- wasted
- Could you call the waiter over?
- Why did you waste so much?
- I went away to Venice and was very wary.
- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
Day 7: The /w/ Sound
Congratulations!!!
You have made it to the very last day of this /w/ sound practice course.
Do you feel like your pronunciation of this sound is improving?
Let’s finish with a simple, but challenging exercise.
Just like you did on days 4, 5, and 6, open up a Google Doc and enable voice typing.
This time, try to get the technology to recognize these six tongue twisters.
- Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear
- Where was the washer woman?
- What vows would you verse to wow a nurse?
- Be wary when various wares are everywhere.
- I went away to Venice and was very wary.
- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
Now, turn voice typing off and try to say each tongue twister as fast as possible.
Watch the video to learn how to go through this exercise.
Additional Resources: The /w/ Sound
Words with the /w/ sound
| Beginning | Middle | End |
| win | away | |
| wig | towards | |
| why | someone | |
| way | anyone | |
| web | require | |
| where | acquire | |
| what | inquire | |
| whale | always | |
| wolf | rewarm | |
| warm | aswim | |
| wash | swimming | |
| wing | swing | |
| wine | swag | |
| wake | sway | |
| wage | sweep | |
| wish | anyway | |
| want | own | |
| went | dwarf | |
| walk | swamp | |
| work | unown | |
| wall | beware | |
| wallpaper | aware | |
| wound | sidewalk | |
| water | moonwalk | |
| waterfall | password | |
| waist | crossword | |
| wave | unworn | |
| wait | housewarming | |
| waiter | likewise | |
| war | elsewhere |
Minimal Pair Collection
Minimal Pair initial /v/ and /w/ vow wow
vie - why
vow - wow
vet - wet
vile - while
veil - whale
vein - wane
vary - wary
vest - west
versed - worst
vine - wine
Minimal Pair initial /g/ and /w/ gate weight
gun - one
gall - wall
gill - will
gag- wag
gave - wave
girl - whirl
gale - whale
got - what
gate - wait
geek - weak
Minimal Pair initial /r/ and /w/ rich which
run - one
rig - wig
rink - wink
rag - wag
rail - wail
rich - which
rage - wage
run - won
reek - weak
reel - wheel
Minimal Pair initial /w/ and no /w/ where air*
win - in
wail - ale
week - eek
wail - ale
wake - ache
wore - or
wide - eyed
woke - oak
where - air
will - ill
Vowel Collection
win - won - ween - wane - wine
sway - swear - swore
woo - wear - wore - war - way - weir
wish - wash - woosh
whale - while - will - wall - whirl
wait - white - wit - wheat - wet
Syllable Stress Collection
- wallpaper
- swimming
- anyway
- waterfall
- waiter
- acquire
- sidewalk
- crossword
- elsewhere
- wishful
- workaholic
- wasted
Reduced Sounds Collection
- Let me help you with the wallpaper.
- How about we go swimming?
- Should he be doing that anyway?
- I want to go to the waterfall.
- Could you call the waiter over?
- Why did you waste so much?
Tongue Twister Collection
- Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear
- Where was the washerwoman?
- What vows would you verse to wow a nurse?
- Be wary when various wares are everywhere.
- I went away to Venice and was very wary.
- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
Additional Resources
- Tools for Clear Speech /w/ profile
- Rachel’s English Video on the /w/ sound
- American English Pronunciation consonant sound /w/
- TEFLpedia /w/ sound
Additional Activities for All Sounds
Practice Three Words
Answer the following question:
What do you like to do in your free time?
Pick one, two, or three words from the word bank and include them in your response. If it helps, you may write out the example sentences with the word in context first.
Youglish Research
Visit the Youglish website. Pick a word or phrase you would like to practice. Enter it into the Youglish search bar. Find three examples of the word or phrase in context to shadow.
Teacher Time
During your next English speaking practice session with a teacher or conversation partner, have a list of three to five words you would like to use. Give yourself a point every time you use the word correctly in context and it is understood. Aim to score 5 points within the first 10 minutes (so the rest of the time you focus just on communicating).
Voice Typing
Write out three sentences with challenging words or phrases. Use Google Docs or any other software with the ability to turn speech to text. Read these sentences aloud and check to see if your pronunciation is correct.
***There are a ton of possibilities. These are just a few ideas. Use the word bank, tongue twisters, example sentences, and other resources on this page to continue to work on this sound.
If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below. I read and respond to all of them.
Download the PDF version of this 7-day mini-course.
Plus the PDF-version of every single English sound for free.
