This is the sound that separates “wine” from “vine”. It’s a smooth, gliding sound made with your lips, and you hear it in words like “we”, “quick”, and “away”.
Pronounce the word/phrase:
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The /w/ Glide: It’s All in the Lips
The /w/ sound isn’t a fixed position—it’s a quick movement. You start with your lips in one position and then smoothly “glide” away into the next vowel sound. It’s like a running start for the vowel.
Step 1: The Starting Gate
Start by making your lips very round and tight, like you’re about to whistle or say the /uː/ sound in “blue”.
Step 2: The Glide Away
Quickly and smoothly relax your lips, moving directly into the vowel sound that follows. For “we”, you glide into /iː/. For “one”, you glide into /ʌ/.
The ‘Wine’ vs. ‘Vine’ Test: Lips vs. Teeth
This is the most common mistake. The /w/ sound is made only with the lips. The /v/ sound requires your top teeth to touch your bottom lip. They are made in completely different ways.
/w/ – Lips Only
Your lips are rounded and do not touch your teeth. The air flows smoothly through the small opening.
wine, wet, west/v/ – Teeth on Lip
Your top teeth rest on your bottom lip, and the air vibrates through. Feel the buzz?
vine, vet, vestSpelling Secrets: The Silent ‘w’
Sometimes the biggest challenge with ‘w’ is knowing when *not* to say it. Keep an eye out for these common patterns where the ‘w’ is completely silent.
- wr- at the start of a word: write, wrong, wrist
- wh- in some words: who, whole
- In specific words: sword, answer
The “Blowing Out a Candle” Trick
To get the initial lip position right, pretend you’re about to blow out a birthday candle. That tight, rounded shape your lips make is the perfect starting point for the /w/ sound. Start from that position and say “water” or “why”.