Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles In this American English pronunciation video, I’m going to discuss, with my Mom, the pronunciation of WH. I’ve gotten a couple questions about how do you pronounce words that begin with WH. And I’ve brought my Mom here because she pronounces it differently than I do. She does the perfect, in my opinion, old fashioned, hw sound before the W. Whereas, I just make a clean W sound. So, for example, let’s just say some words. >> Okay. >> Whale. >> Whale. >> White. >> White. >> What? >> What? >> Why? >> Why? >> While. >> While. >> Such a perfect hw. So, either way, totally acceptable. And Mom, you said sometimes you leave off the hw? Like for the word ‘whether’, you said you don’t do it. >> Whether, W-H-E-T-H-E-R, I would say the same as weather. >> Whether or not. >> Yeah, whether or not, I would say the same as weather, clouds, rain, sleet. >> Right. >> So, there I don’t say the WH. >> Yeah. >> So either one is acceptable. Um, in my opinion, why learn another sound, hw, when you don’t have to. Just make it a nice, clean W sound. I also think that the way my Mom says it, white. >> White. >> …is a little old fashioned. What do you think. Do you agree with that? >> No. >> Really? >> I don’t think it’s old-fashioned. >> What do you think it is? >> I think it’s the way to say WH. >> Oh. Its A way to say WH. Grammar note: when you say THE way, it means there’s only one way. When you say A way, it means there is more than one way. Mom thinks her way is the only way, the right way, but I know that both are acceptable pronunciations. Listen again to THE way and A way. >> What do you think it is? >> I think it’s the way to say WH. >> Oh. Its A way to say WH. >> Okay guys, so that’s my opinion on how to say WH words. If you’re going to say it like me, which is a clean W sound, you just round the lips, ww, and start your word. Thanks, Mom. >> You’re welcome, dear. >> Alright guys, that’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.
A2 wh mom fashioned acceptable sound whale How to Pronounce WH Words -- what, why, which -- American English 129 26 Sam posted on 2015/04/14 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary