Lessons Unit 3, lesson 13
w + vowels
The w beginning opening into every vowel it starts words with. Get the mouth ready for w, release straight into the vowel — no gap, no extra sound between them.
What do the marks mean?
Want the full walkthrough? Read the map explains every mark, with practice.
wthe w in water
Round your lips as if you were about to whistle, then open into the vowel: w — water. It's a movement, not a held sound.
w + every vowel
One row per combination. Tap any word to hear it — every sheet comes straight from the tool.
| w æ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| w ɪ | |||
| w ɛ | |||
| w ʌ | |||
| w ʊ | |||
| w ɑ | |||
| w iː | |||
| w ɔː | |||
| w eɪ | |||
| w aɪ | |||
| w ɝ |
A moving target, not a held sound
W is really just a quick lip-rounding gesture that slides into the vowel — round your lips as if about to whistle, then open into the word, as in water, way, and with. It never sits still the way s or m can; it's a movement from one shape to the next, not a sound you hold.
Why w skips some vowels
You'll notice w never appears here before uː or oʊ — English simply doesn't pair w with those rounded back vowels, because rounding twice in a row gives your mouth nothing new to do. That's also part of why which and when feel like fuller gestures than war or work, where the rounding of w and the r-color of the vowel blend together.
Drill a column by saying each word, then repeat it with exaggerated lip rounding on the w before easing back to normal speed.