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'?

Please boost for reach.

Yes
27.4%
No
67.9%
Huh?
4.8%
Poll ended at .
Show threadKick Murder Squad Pleasurebot
@joyce @D_J_Nathanson I voted no but many in my family do, and got upset when I didn’t. There’s a whole story there about race and code switching and such.
Feb 25 at 2:35pmWeb
Show threadDave NathansonFeb 25

@FinalGirl @joyce Really? I never noticed it as associated with race, but I wasn't looking for it either.

My initial reaction when I hear the H-W pronunciation is that the person is being precious, effete.

Whenever this comes up, I can't help thinking of Lynda Carter commercial for Moisture HWip. It drove me nuts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ3mjTe29Ic

Lynda Carter , Moisture Whip commercial 1981

YouTube