How to pronounce The /w/ as in WET /w/ in American English

One of the most common consonants in American English. Hear it in wet, will, way, win.

IPA /w/ Respell w Category Consonant

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The /w/ consonant, the sound at the start of wet, will, and wait, is all about tight, rounded lips and a quick release. Form a small circle with your lips while the back of your tongue lifts, then immediately let the shape spring open into the next vowel. It's an active, moving sound. A common trap for speakers of German or Hindi is letting the top teeth touch the bottom lip. To an American ear, this makes wet sound like vet. For a clean American /w/, keep your teeth completely out of the way.

How to make it

Three small adjustments.

Get them right and the sound takes care of itself.

Round your lips into a tight circle. Lift the back of your tongue toward the soft palate and add voice.

Mouth shape

/w/ as in wet

Tongue

The back part stretches up towards the soft palate. The front part lightly touches the back of the bottom front teeth.

Lips

Form a tight circle.

Quick tips

A few things to remember.

Vibrate your vocal cords continuously as you shape the sound, then release the lip rounding.

This sound is most common at the beginning of words. It doesn't occur at the end of any words. When the letter W appears at the end (e.g., 'saw', 'new'), it is part of a vowel sound and does not produce the W consonant sound.

Even in the middle of a word (e.g., 'unwind'), take the time to bring the lips into the full tight circle.

Connect words with a hidden /w/. When a word ends in a rounded vowel (like /oʊ/ or /u/) and the next word starts with a vowel, Americans naturally slip a tiny /w/ in between to link them. For example, 'go away' sounds like 'go(w)away' and 'do it' sounds like 'do(w)it'.

The /w/ sound frequently hides behind the letters O and U. You'll hear a clear /w/ in words like 'one', 'once', 'choir', 'quiet', and 'language', even though there is no letter W.

Watch out for words like 'wood', 'wolf', and 'woman'. Because the vowel that follows the /w/ is also rounded, it's easy to accidentally drop the /w/ entirely. Start with a very tight circle for the /w/, then slightly relax it for the vowel.

You might have been taught to blow a puff of air for words starting with WH (like 'when' or 'where'). In modern American English, this is unnecessary. 'Wine' and 'whine' are pronounced exactly the same.

Hear it in words

16 everyday words.

Tap any word for its full breakdown — every reduction, every flap-T.

Hear it in sentences

In real conversation.

5 short sentences where this sound shows up. Tap to play; click the title for the full breakdown.

We wondered which way the wind went.

wee WUHN·derd WIHCH WAY dhuh WIHND wehnt.

Quick, wash the window with warm water.

KWIHK WAHSH dhuh WIHN·doh wihth WORM WAH·der.

We will wait for the wet weather to wane.

wee wihl WAYT fer dhuh WEHT WEH·dher tuh WAYN.

We've been waiting here for quite a while.

weev bihn WAY·duhng HEER fer KWAHYT uh WAHYL.

I walk to work when the weather is nice enough.

ahy WAHK tuh WURK wehn dhuh WEH·dher ihz NAHYS uh·NUHF.

FAQ

Common questions about /w/.

Why do I keep mixing up the W and V sounds?

It usually happens because your top teeth are grazing your bottom lip. In American English, the /v/ in vet requires the teeth and lip to touch and create friction. The /w/ in wet relies on your lips and the back of your tongue, keeping your teeth completely out of the way. If your native language treats these as the same sound, like German or Hindi, you have to actively train yourself to keep your teeth hidden for W.

Do you pronounce the W at the end of words like "saw" or "new"?

No, the W consonant never actually happens at the end of an American English word. When you see the letter W at the end of saw, new, or cow, it's just teaming up with another letter to spell a vowel sound. Your lips might still round for the vowel itself (like the 'oo' in new), but you don't make the quick, springing release that creates the /w/ consonant. The /w/ sound is strictly a starter; you'll only hear it at the beginning of a syllable, like in win or unwind.

What's the best way to practice a clear American W?

Start by exaggerating the lip rounding before you even make a sound. Push your lips forward like you're about to whistle or blow out a candle, making a tiny, tight circle. Turn your voice on, hold that tight shape for a second, and then quickly pop your lips open into the vowel. Practicing pairs like vine and wine in front of a mirror helps confirm your teeth are staying hidden during the W.