Consonant Sound / w / as in "way" - American English Pronunciation

Pronunciation of the /w/ sound is difficult for many non-native English speakers. Some people don't realize that they accidentally distort or confuse it with other English consonants. Others get confused because of the spelling.
Watch this video to find out when and how to pronounce the /w/ consonant correctly. You'll practice it with several pronunciation exercises. As always, they are recorded by a professional speech therapist.
Check out our website: soundsamerican.net/
Quick Links:
• Consonant sound /w/, as in "way:" 00:00
• Definition of consonant sounds: 01:13
• Definition of glide sounds: 02:04
• How to pronounce the /w/ sound: 02:20
• Typical mistakes: 03:40
• Pronunciation exercise 1: 04:57
• Pronunciation exercise 2: 07:00
• Pronunciation exercise 3: 08:50
• Spelling for the /w/ sound: 10:42
Related Videos:
#AmericanPronunciation #ConsonantSounds #GlideSounds
► Consonant Sound /w/ as in "way" - this video
► Consonant Sound /j/ as in "yes" • Consonant Sound / j / ...
[THIS VIDEO HAS ENGLISH, VIETNAMESE, AND PORTUGUESE SUBTITLES]
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TRANSCRIPT
Hello there! This is the "Sounds American" channel.
In this video, we're going to talk about the American consonant sound /w/,
as in the word "way."
You can also hear this sound in words like "well," "quick," "work" or "one."
We'll be using a special phonetic symbol - /w/ - for this sound.
Take a look at the last example. As you can see, the word "one" has the /w/ sound but doesn't have the 'w' letter. Which kind of gives you an idea that this sound isn't as simple as it seems. And, unfortunately, spelling is not the only problem.
The /w/ sound is quite special. It's considered to be a consonant but pronounced without blocking the airstream.
Wait a minute… Let's check what a consonant sound is. Here is a definition from Sounds American:
"A consonant sound is a speech sound in which the air stream is at least partially blocked when leaving your mouth."
Something doesn't add up here, right? The /w/ is made without blocking the airstream, so it's pronounced more like a vowel. But unlike the vowels, it doesn't form a syllable. At least in American English. And that's why linguists call the /w/ a semivowel. ;)
Well, whatever… Anyway, if it's a semivowel it's still a semiconsonant! :)
There's something more important you should know about this sound.
The /w/ belongs to the category of consonants that are called the "glides". Here's how they are defined:
"A glide is a sound that is made with the air flowing over the tongue when it leaves the mouth."
Awesome! And now's the perfect moment to find out how to make this consonant.
To make the /w/ sound correctly, focus on the movement of your lips and the position of your tongue.
First, let's learn how to move your lips:
Slightly open your mouth, round your lips and pull them into a small tight circle.
Then as you make this sound, you'll stretch your lips wide with a quick and sharp movement: /w/
Now, let's put your tongue in the correct position for this sound.
Start with your tongue in a neutral position. When making this sound, pull your tongue far back to your throat and make it tense: /w/.
Remember, even though the /w/ is a consonant, it's pronounced like a vowel. So, you should feel the air gliding over your tongue.
And of course, the /w/ is a voiced sound, so don't forget to add your voice.
Let's try saying it: /w/, /w/, /w/.
One of the most common mistakes that non-native speakers make is replacing the /w/ sound with another consonant sound, the /v/ fricative. The problem is that the /w/ sound doesn't exist in some languages or it's used interchangeably with the /v/ in others.
Be careful, in English, this can lead to misunderstandings.
Compare:
"vile" - "while"
"vest" - "west"
Do you see the difference? Correct, the /v/ is a fricative consonant, so it's made by partially blocking the airstream with your lower lip and your upper teeth.
Unlike the /w/ sound, which is a glide consonant and made without blocking the airstream at all.
We know, it may be hard to avoid making this mistake. Especially for those who don't have the /w/ sound in their native language.
But we also know that practice makes perfect. And this is the only way to learn to pronounce this sound correctly.
[Pronunciation exercise 1]
• work
• world
• week
• wave
• whale
• between
• away
• weak
• wait
• twist
• swear
• wool
• wire
• sweep
• waist
• switch
• wax
• swim
• win
• twin
[Pronunciation exercise 2]
• quart
• frequent
• query
• liquid
• square
• question
• quite
• queen
• language
• quit
• equation
• quick
• squint
• quality
• equal
• quote
• jaguar
• squeeze
• squeak
• squat
[Pronunciation exercise 3]
• answer
• awful
• coward
• flower
• jewel
• knowledge
• liquor
• owl
• power
• sword
• toward
• towel
• tower
• vowel
• wrap
• wreck
• wrench
• wring
• write
• wrong
You're done! Congratulations!

[@SoundsAmerican]

🎉Great news!🎉 Our brand new Sounds American website is up and running!🚀🎊 There's lots of content on pronunciation.🤓You can start with the article about the /w/ sound: soundsamerican.net/article/consonant_sound_w_as_in_way

[@rickkeegan5977]

MJ Hunk 6:09

[@mostafafadel2735]

I can't believe this course is for free , thank you from all of my heart .

[@SoundsAmerican]

We can't believe it either 😁

[@sony_berdiano]

True!💯

[@elwinharahap6771]

Dear Sound America, Thank you very much for your video, it is really helpful _ I think your video is considered to be one of the best references for those who want to sound like a native American.... What do you think guys? If you agree please gives me a thumb up....

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Elwin Harahap You're welcome!

[@mariapaltin5436]

V.

[@mariapaltin5436]

Joqvvccviib. Cas

[@deanma7399]

Clear and practical！ Every tip is on exact point.

[@angelowatching]

El mejor video de fonemas del inglés que conozco

[@elisanzfonse]

The best English speaking channel 💯! The number 1️⃣ for me. Thank you so much! 🧠

[@herolyntaylor4903]

Practice makes perfect!!👍🏽

[@user-ku3fz2ci2w]

Thank you so much for this video Keep up the good work

[@isacare360]

the top of the top. Thank you!! 🙏

[@Luxury_vagabond]

The best in youtube.

[@elsinakaruway6567]

I could not agree more.

[@lvha1989]

@@elsinakaruway6567 1000% agree

[@elenalozenko]

Great channel! Thank you! 👍👍👍

[@ucnguyenvan8176]

your works are really amazing. they are very useful to my speaking skill

[@SoundsAmerican]

Happy to hear that!

[@andrewdmytruk611]

I've been waiting )

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Andrew Dmytruk 😊👋

[@emanuelcasavilca3250]

These videos are the best, i love this channel

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Emanuel Casavilca 😊👋

[@yingnachen6616]

Very helpful videos

[@1DENich1]

We have the same sound /w/in Belarusian language. It is represented by letter "Ў", which is quite rare. We even have a monument in the honor of this letter in Polotsk. As usual, great job! Thank you for keeping high quality of giving information!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Денис Василевский A monument! This is so cool! Thanks for sharing this :). Stay tuned, the next video will be on the /j/ sound, as in "year."

[@1DENich1]

@@SoundsAmerican Thanks for commenting. I feel obliged to stay tuned and to leave comments to support the channel, because it is the best on this topic:)

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Денис Василевский 🤗🖖😊

[@aldomatus6007]

I really love your content

[@sriratdecha8809]

Thank​ you!

[@user-gw5mg4lj9x]

The best channel.

[@ossamaalbitar9559]

Thanks alot!

[@polos5890]

Thanks for the video!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Po Los You're welcome!

[@diegosalvador7450]

Dude, you should make videos about intonation cuz it is one of the most important elements in a language. Thanks for the videos, they are great and helpful.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Diego Salvador You're welcome, glad to hear our videos have been helpful. Thank you for your suggestion, we'll add it to our plan.

[@theminhdang5019]

wow amazing! I wish I had seen this video years before

[@SoundsAmerican]

+the minh dang Better late than never, right? 😊

[@miguelcallecontreras6620]

Thanks very much, it is helping me a lot with my pronunciation.

[@SoundsAmerican]

You are welcome!

[@soniamahecha8707]

This is the best place to learn pronounce in English. I really appreciate if you could do a video with the wh sound. Thank you

[@SoundsAmerican]

Thank you! We're glad you like our videos. About the /w/ sound: there's no /wh/ sound in American English. When you see a 'WH' letter combination in a word, it's pronounced as /h/ before the letter 'O', like in the words "who" or "whom," and as the /w/ sound before other letters, like in the words "where," "why," or "while." Hope this helps!

[@sheila31bull47]

Thank you!!

[@SoundsAmerican]

You're welcome!

[@fayewu7505]

Great!

[@ramzy-6566]

great video, I'm waiting a new videos, Thank you.

[@beatrizochoa3247]

excellent!!!!! thank you

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad you liked it!👋

[@estravenskyalluc5660]

Good job my teacher 🎉🎉🎉❤❤

[@mynorjor2555]

Thanks so much

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Fernelly Jor You're welcome!👋

[@randomdude7384]

I had been making the reverse version of the most common mistake you've mentioned in the video. I used to replace the /v/ sound with the /w/ sound, but only until the point when you released your video on the /v/ sound. Now I can distinguish between them with ease, which doesn't make it any easier to pronounce the /v/ sound in some words though.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Cosmic Disco These things can be only fixed with regular practice. You need to train your speech organs muscles, which takes time and practice regularly to teach yourself to pronounce the /v/ sound automatically in all relevant words. It's the hardest part since it'll be you teaching your brain to give the right commands to your muscles, building those neurons takes time :). But it's worth it!

[@randomdude7384]

@@SoundsAmerican That's deadass pure facts! I couldn't agree more!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Cosmic Disco 😅🖖

[@KnowledgeandWisdomhub]

Innovative 🙏

[@pssilva3973]

(1:33) For me, /r/ and the dark /l/ also sound as vowel-like consonants besides /w/ or /j/ glides.

[@User.2845hjklmnop]

Thanks

[@SoundsAmerican]

Welcome!

[@user-xg9fn8dr7e]

Great

[@elroxasmiano]

for me this is more hard phonettic letter for practice Good video!

[@manekedark]

your content is really good i always had doubts about pronunciation if you know a good discord group let us know

[@damongeo840]

Qur'an /kɔˈɹɑn/ Thank you for the lesson.

[@annisaindriani6955]

loveeee!!!

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad to hear that!

[@user-xr2uj1qx3f]

Many people didn't understand that this is a very difficult sound to pronounce! Because you always need to pull the tongue back and make it tense. This is especially difficult when this sound isn't at the beginning of a sentence. I think this is the hardest consonant sound.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+ Камилл Беляев You're absolutely right. This sound is difficult to master for many non-native English speakers. Russian speakers often confuse this sound with /v/, it's one of the most common mistakes. Which is understandable, as to make this sound correctly you have to tense your lips, round and protrude them first, then spread them while simultaneously keeping your tongue tensed and pulled. This is a lot and this is difficult. We hope that our video helps you to understand how to pronounce the /w/ consonant and the exercise helps to practice it. Let us know if you have any questions.

[@bonnie7742]

this is a very common sound in my language, especially in my accent lol

[@mobitadianoffecialsecondar490]

Thank u from arab land

[@sergueiignacinskybenitovic3025]

I think God speaks through your voice (? Nah, seriously. We Spanish speakers tend to confuse the W with a GU (G + U) 'cause in our language is spelled like that. For example, we would likely spell the word "Wonder" as "Guonder". EDIT: And when the W is before a consonant we just simply turn it into a G. For example, we'll misspell Writing as Griting. I really love your channel!

[@SoundsAmerican]

Thanks for sharing! Glad you like our channel!

[@j.j.hagelsieb]

I don't know if I like your videos more than you like our comments, but if you make me happy with your videos, why don't leave a comment and make you happy too? I found some interesting words on Cambridge Dictionary about this 'qu' combination: quiche: /kiʃ/ Quran: /kəˈræn, -ˈrɑn/ quay: /ki, keɪ, kweɪ/ quinoa: /kɪnˈwɑː/ And the important one that you refer to the sound /ju/ is... queue: /kju/ What do you think, Sounds American?

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Jesus Hagelsieb You did make us happy indeed! Thank you! The list you found is impressive. We hoped that someone would mention these words. Yes, you're right, we meant the word "queue." This is awesome! 😊👍

[@Super22Catch]

I dont understand why w isnt prounanced in some words but its spelled. Took me forever to learn that. Crazy language. But thanks to your channel, I think ive mastered most of the sounds. Please, stop by my channel and se what you think. I'm an actor and want to really learn the accent and your channel is my favorite. Thanks!

[@cassielzhang1387]

we need chinese substitles. Thanks a lot.

[@Demondzeta]

i'm a native spanish speaker and we have, at least I have, a problem between this one and the /g/ sound which a lot of us confused it with, so I was trying to do the sound without raising my tongue, only rounding my lips and tightening them and forcing the air (it sounds kind of like a raspy B sound), but this video makes me think this is still a sound (at least with the e tonge position close to) approximate to the /g/ sound (only not touching the back of the throat)?? please tell me if I'm wrong. Kinda like in the /r/ sound we also try to reach the tip of the tongue to thee top of the mouth but never do it??please help me

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

The letter "u" in Spanish sounds like /w/ in dipthongs, in words like "hueso /'weso/ (bone)", "huevo /'webo/ (egg)", or "bueno /'bweno/ (good, fine)

[@razorv8117]

Sí, suena como la w, por eso en algunos vídeos dicen que hagamos esa u para decir palabras como what, where que se escribiría así uat, uer.

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

@@razorv8117 exacto

[@rigelkosako]

That's very useful when teaching English to Spanish speakers. I was trying to think of an example like this. Thank you Haha

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

@@rigelkosako no problem :)

[@reksie7816]

Hi there, I had a question about the pronounciation of Nebraska. In your fourth of July special, you pronounced it the way it's spelled. I listen to Gene Autry quite a lot, and in the song "Sioux City Sue" he pronounces Nebraska as "Newbrasky" (listen for yourself if you don't understand), I was just wondering if perhaps you know this pronunciation of the state's name was common back then (around 1940).

[@tricky_english]

The letter Ww doesn’t make the wuh /wə/ sound, it’s just itself. I recommend holding the sound longer without adding the schwa and don’t make the mouth TOO round.

[@ricardoluizmarcello]

Oh very didactic about w being a “consonant” or “vowel”

[@stefanomagari6921]

I've discovered recently that in Italian qu/cu is pronounced like [kʷ] and not [kw] and it's very hard pronounce it correctly

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Stefano Magari This is good to know! Thanks! 👍

[@linking932]

Finally :D

[@n3b3d4]

Share this video with your friends, and relatives :D LOL thank you for great mood!

[@SoundsAmerican]

😋👋

[@pannyzhang3245]

Great! let's study!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+panny zhang 👍👋

[@rocioromanperez2905]

Thank you for the video, it was extremely useful. I would like to know if /w/ have a final sound. I really appreciate your confirmation.

[@SoundsAmerican]

No, the sound /w/ can't be final. The letter 'w', however, can be final: glow, few, saw, etc.

[@rocioromanperez2905]

Thank you. Is the same for /y/ sound, right?

[@randomdude7384]

Is the word "queue" the one which you referred to in the riddle at the end of the video?

[@Unknown.User.54]

enqueue, dequeue (computer science terms)

[@Unknown.User.54]

barbeque (an acceptable variant of barbecue)

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Cosmic Disco Correct!

[@ManuEnergetico]

[ˈkʰjuː]

[@TheUnvanquishable]

i wish i was taught this in school

[@sharedpen6571]

Hi and thanks. What is the difference between Pronunciation 'w in quite = kwaɪt' and 'uː in food = fuːd'

[@odilenebarrense6145]

In my language the w sound is often substituted by an /u/ sound

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

/w/ is a semiconsonant /u/

[@amirmusthopa907]

Luar biasa

[@alexislopez4160]

Hey , can you make video about contractions pronunciation like i'ii or i'v and other?

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Alexis Lopez Thank you for your suggestion, we'll consider it.

[@danilobraghini1515]

I can't differ this semiconsonant sound 'w' from the vowel sound 'u' :(

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

w is the semiconsonantal version of u

[@espiritulibre3569]

Com'é possibile che non senti la differenza fra ua (w) e iu (u). Ma dai?

[@38d-thiennguyenthe44]

The /hw/ has in 'which' and 'where' but many people say /w/ instead of /hw/, doesn't it ?

[@Arseanny]

Thank you so much. This is really helpful. However, I've been confused about the difference between the /w/ and /ʊ/ sound. I wonder what their difference is.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Arseanio Lourance The /ʊ/ is a vowel sound, but the /w/ is a consonant. The main difference is in the lips and the tongue positions and movements when you pronounce these sounds. For the /ʊ/ vowel, your tongue has to be pulled back, and the lips should be either neutral or slightly rounded and relaxed. For the /w/ sound, however, your lips should be first pulled in a small tight circle and then stretched when you let the air come out of your mouth. Looks like you've already watched our video about the /w/, so here's our video on the /ʊ/ sound, so that you could compare these two sounds: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6CvhYVjmbGEh7s

[@Arseanny]

@@SoundsAmerican Million thanks for your answer! My question's finally been solved!

[@Unknown.User.54]

I'm still waiting for your video about dark L

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Unknown User We plan to make it soon.

[@AG-zh7zl]

Unknown User: You sound bossy and rude. Show good manners. Producing quality content like this takes effort. And is free for viewers like us.

[@mizyosi6764]

cheque

[@tdathurgha3431]

tq somuch sounds american You have helped me a lot Where can i find the app to practice

[@SoundsAmerican]

We're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!

[@randomdude7384]

Is it appropriate to pronounce the words "toward" and "towards" as /tɔrd/ and /tɔrdz/ respectively? For some reason, I've always thought the /w/ sound in these words is silent. Is it alright to pronounce these words with no /w/ sound?

[@SoundsAmerican]

Yes, of course. That's exactly how we pronounce them.

[@randomdude7384]

@@SoundsAmerican thank u! the best channel ever!

[@mitsukohatsuon]

I have a question for you. Some words that start with "wr" seem not to pronounce "w," right? For example, write, wrote, written, wreck, wrong. Can I teach my students that they don't need to pronounce "w" for those words? Thanks for your lesson!

[@SoundsAmerican]

Correct. That's actually a rule: The letter 'w' is silent at the beginning of words when it's followed by the letter 'r': write, wrong, rewritten, wrap, wrench, etc.

[@mitsukohatsuon]

Dear@@SoundsAmerican ! Thanks so much for the quick response!!! That's huge for me to learn. 💝

[@SoundsAmerican]

No problem! Let us know if you have any other questions!

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

Many Spanish speakers pronounce /w/ as /gw/

[@pablo_cortman]

excellent video, what dictionary do you recommend?

[@SoundsAmerican]

We think that Longman has the most accurate phonetic transcriptions (www.ldoceonline.com/). Dictionary.com is the second-best option in terms of transcriptions.

[@anglaisenkreyol8643]

hello i am a big fan , i just have 2 big question about the "T' after 'N' like wanted becomes wanned, and there is a glottal stop in HILTON? thank you and i do love the job you are doing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[@pssilva3973]

a) "When T comes after N, the T sound is dropped in many words. This rule is for informal English. It is mostly used when people speak quickly, but it's good for you to learn them. b) pay attention to: interview, interstate, international, wanted, don't know, printer, enter, twenty . Now say: inerview, inerstate, inernational, wanned, don'know, priner, ener, tweny "

[@anglaisenkreyol8643]

okay but what about the next one?

[@pssilva3973]

@@anglaisenkreyol8643 a) "When T is before an N, the sound is stopped and turns into a hard N. The final N should be strong." Examples: (Glottal stop = /ʔ/) mountain, fountain, curtain, written, forgotten, important, sentence Say: mouʔN, fouʔN, curʔN, wriʔN, forgoʔN, imporʔNt, senʔNce b) "When T is at the end of a word (and this is not followed by a vowel), the sound stops. To say this correctly, emphasize the preceding vowel, put your tongue into place and simply stop the sound. " Examples: hot, hat, mat, fat, lot, rat, pat, foot, want, sit, sat, fit, bat, pot. Say: hoʔ, haʔ, maʔ, faʔ, loʔ, raʔ, paʔ, fooʔ, wanʔ, siʔ, saʔ, fiʔ, baʔ, poʔ pronunciationstudio.com/glottal-stop-pronunciation-guide/

[@pssilva3973]

@@anglaisenkreyol8643 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJLFmGB7iq2Ch80

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Bendy Jean-louis Good questions! We covered them in this video, check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3ezk3-Ziqill7M The part of the glottal 'T' (yes, "hilton" is pronounced with the glottal 'T' sound) is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3ezk3-Ziqill7M , and the dropped 't' is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3ezk3-Ziqill7M

[@wilher6121]

Alguien sabe la diferencia entre la pronunciación de las palabras week (debil) y weak (semana)

[@hintergarten]

Ninguna. Es por eso que son homophones. Lo mismo waste ( desperdiciar) y waist (cintura). Puede encontrar una gran lista si busca en Google " homophones in Englisch". Cheers.

[@linhadabeleza]

/ju/ as in "queue".

[@raaaaaa4272]

Hi, any news on public releasing this app?????

[@espiritulibre3569]

I remmember you had a "X" sound video, where is it? You are missing this important letter man! Thank you for you help!

[@SoundsAmerican]

You're confusing letters and sounds. We don't make videos about letters and we never had a video about the letter 'X.' We make videos about sounds because you use sounds, not letters, when speaking. 👋

[@bonnie7742]

χ you meant this símbolo?

[@wilsonargueta3250]

🎉

[@elwinharahap6771]

Dear Sound American, I have created some extra words list on each consonant on excel sheet with the phonetic symbol for self-practice and I need to embed the sound from Cambridge dictionary online on each word but I have difficulties in doing so. May you please let me know how could I do it. I have tried a few times by using audacity but I couldn't make it. Your kind reply I would appreciate it so much .... Regards, Elwin

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Elwin Harahap The name of our channel is Sound*s* American (plural) :). How long is your list? If it's not very long it'd be probably easier to grab sounds one-by-one. The links should look like this: dictionary.cambridge.org/us/media/english/us_pron/t/tes/test_/test.mp3

[@elwinharahap6771]

@@SoundsAmerican Dear Sounds American, Thank you very much for sending me the link, and I do apologize for wrong writing on your youtube title. Unfortunately, I have tried to use the link by substituting the word but it did not work out well.

[@pabloortiz5790]

I think the phonetics transcription for jaguar is /dʒægˑwɑr/ and not /ˈdʒægˑwɑɪr/

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Pablo Ortiz kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3mrZH2ZhLide8k

[@vanessax5753]

W is opened totally ?

[@k8trong296]

0:15

[@johnsun2030]

W making the "woo" sound clearly is better than the "wuh" sound. In the word : WET. Woo + e + t. Not Wuh + e + t.

[@dun5550]

Hi. U can make a video about “tw” like twelve, twin, twice, twist,..? I can’t read it.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Thank you for your suggestion!

[@locoenamorado6800]

/w/ does not appear in the AFI, why?

[@Haydn109]

4:30 I think your referring to the "V" sound, in german language. After all, to pronounce the german name "Wirst" the "W" is pronounced as a "V", and not like a "W". That is just some curiosity

[@yilunsun7573]

Do you have app for iphone or ipad?I am looking forward to have that! If you have the test version please send me too~Because I am located in China, it is very inconvenient for me to visit youtube. If I could use your application without VPN, that could be very helpful.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Jasmine Sun Not yet, but we're working on it. Stay tuned!

[@trunghoang2444]

6:12 can you make about a video about /tw/ sound. I am quite confused about it. Thanks.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Thank you for your suggestion! There's no /tw/ sound in American English, there's the voiceless /t/ consonant and the /w/. You can practice both separately and they maybe linking /t/ to /w/. Let us know if you have questions on how to do that!

[@keonscorner516]

@@SoundsAmerican HOW ABOUT /kw/

[@articulodeterminado]

Could it be the word "queue"?

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Alejandro García Vidal Correct! 👍😊

[@ultraman6950]

I'm waiting for the app :S

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Humildad Plena Soon!

[@user-jo2co8ly3d]

Hello,friends of sounds american. I have a question for you. Why are there letters in English that are silent between syllables, such as the case of the syllable L,W,S,T,H and many more? I hope you can help me clear my doubts

[@SoundsAmerican]

Excellent question! There are so many reasons for why some letters are getting silent in English, it will take a book to explain them all. Can you give us some word examples? It would be easier this way.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Or you can check out our blog posts with the tag "Silent letters": soundsamerican.net/articles?tag=blog&tag=silent_letters

[@user-jo2co8ly3d]

how are you. Friends, here I am sending you this list of silent consonants in some words or syllables. my question that I wanted to know was this: why are these consonants silent in this type of words? thanks for your help.¡ silent letters : Know, wreck,hour ,rhetoric, island,awesome, ghost,listen,answer,would,gnat,calm Psalm, Lamb, Ptisan,surprise Hymn Debt,psychology.

[@SoundsAmerican]

@@user-jo2co8ly3d check out the previous link in this thread

[@user-cg9mq7sm4k]

Hello! I have a question again 😅. I want to sing it. Do we pronounce "g" in connected speech here?

[@SoundsAmerican]

Hello there! This may come as a surprise, but there's absolutely no /g/ sound in "sing." Neither in isolation nor in connected speech.

[@user-cg9mq7sm4k]

@SoundsAmerican 😂😂thanks a bunch again

[@blancaestela5645]

Pongan subtítulos en español. Please

[@pannyzhang3245]

When I use some learning speaking imitating app, the “will” is so hard to pronounce. I cannot pronounce it correctly, I feel a little puzzled.

[@versiculo_diario]

Quote is the word ?

[@colen4349]

Hello Mister! I've been studying pronunciation for 5 years, but I dont know how to pronounce b p d t g k when they come in the middle of the words. Example website, advice, magnet, apartment, empty, secret. Should we pronounce them like at the end of the word or at the begin of the word. Please help me. I have asked many native speakers, but none of them give me the answer.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+colen Hello there! The pronunciation of these sounds depends on where in the syllable they are located. If they occur at the end of a syllable, they follow the Final stop rule and are not aspirated (that is, pronounced without a puff of air). If they occur at the beginning of a syllable, they are aspirated (pronounced with a puff of air). Let's take some of the words from your comment as examples: in the word "website" the /b/ sound is at the end of the first syllable, so it's not aspirated: /ˈwɛb·saɪt/. The /p/ sound in the word "apartment" is at the beginning of the second syllable, but the /t/ is at the end: / əˈpɑrt·mənt/, so the /p/ is aspirated, but the /t/ is not. We talk about this in detail in our Stop Sounds Overview video, check it out, it may be helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3ezk3-Ziqill7M

[@colen4349]

thanks so much

[@nguyenDuong-nx3dw]

5:52 i dont know how to pronunciation /tw/ in between. Do u have video about it?

[@SoundsAmerican]

What is the difficulty? Is it the linking of these two sounds?

[@nyinanajulu4905]

If the w is not pronounce, what does the word have to do with the /w/ sound?

[@SoundsAmerican]

English pronunciation rules are quite complicated and not always logical. People may not know that in some words the letter 'w' is silent.

[@angelaxxx1285]

To me, the w sound is similar to the u sound

[@leelomchen3119]

queue