Joyce LionaronsFeb 25

Something I was wondering about this morning: native English speakers, do you pronounce initial [wh] and initial [w] differently? I.e., is there a difference in the way you pronounce 'which' and 'witch' or 'whether' and 'weather'?

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Yes
27.4%
No
67.9%
Huh?
4.8%
Poll ended at .
Show threadGillingerFeb 25
@joyce
Not here in the north of England! I have heard older RP (Received Pronunciation, the Queen's English or early BBC-speak) give a very slight extra emphasis (almost like a very faint whistling sound) on "wh" but I suspect that's all but died out.
Show threadJoyce LionaronsFeb 25

@Gillinger

I think it's dying out in the US as well. When I was a child in the 1950s, I was drilled on the difference by an elementary school teacher, and later on, in the 2000s, I was chastised by a stuffy professor for pronouncing 'whale' without the h.

Maybe it's just Boomers who differentiate now.

Show threadSusanna the Artist 🌻
@joyce @Gillinger Here in the Southeast US, people of all ages still pronounce them differently.
Feb 25 at 12:48pmWeb