Renaming the letter "w"
The letter "w" is the only letter in the English alphabet with more than one syllable in it's name. I think it's name should be changed to fit in with the other letters, and to avoid the cumbersome to pronounce "www" which has nine syllables! It should be changed to "dub", "wee", or "woo". Hence:
www "dub dub dub", "wee wee wee" or "woo woo woo".
To those that go to multiple forums, I've posted this on another forum a while ago.
However, it should be remembered that the name for "w" has been shortened to /"dVbju(:)/ in very many English dialects to begin with, which really reduces much of the need for a shorter version of the name for "w". Even still, I would probably favor "wee" /"wi(:)/ as a new name for "w" in English, analogous to German "Wee" /"ve:/ or /"v\e:/ and other English letter names.
Sounds like a great idea. While we're at it, we ought to consider shortening "seven" to something like "sev" or "sen", and perhaps even "eleven" to "lev" or "len".
"wee" has different meanings in the UK. In Scotland, for instance, in means "small".
>>Sounds like a great idea. While we're at it, we ought to consider shortening "seven" to something like "sev" or "sen", and perhaps even "eleven" to "lev" or "len".<<
Well, there is no real reason to do so - but such actually occurs here with "seven", and on a lesser basis, "eleven". These can be shortened to ["s3_+::n] and [@:"M\3_+::n] due to elision of intervocalic /v/ in the dialect here, even though such is not consistent.
I prefer calling 'w' an "ow" (like the sound in 'cow')...
this way, "www" would be "ow ow ow..."
: )
In Spanish, French, and Italian (not used in Italian only for foreign words) it is also three syllables, so this is not unusual. It is two U's or V's put together to form double U or Double V.
In Spanish W is four syllables: u ve do ble
Is W a consonant or a vowel. It sounds like a diphtong to me.
It's considered a consonant at the start of a syllable and a vowel or semivowel, forming a diphthong, at the end of a syllable. The reason is that the mouth is more constricted when it's at the beginning of a syllable.
- Kef
lol I like "woo woo woo' haha
Let's avoid the "wee wee's" and the "woo woo's" -- rename "w" as "duv".
Try it: "... t, u, v, duv, x, y z"
It just rolls off the tongue!
I like the idea of renaming it "wa". Don't know why. Maybe it's 'cause I'm learning Japanese...
But if the name of W is changed the alphabet song just won't sound the same....If I had to choose, I would pick 'dub'. 'duv' could work too but it's the same sound as dove so could be confusing in some contexts. 'woo' sounds stupid and 'wee' means urine so please not that.