The aspiration on "wh" words

Question

Is it correct to pronounce all "wh" words with the aspiration? I am referring to the words like "what", "when", "where", which are normally not aspirated when said. And if so, is it more prestigious to do so?

If you do, you'll sound like Family Guy's Stewie... https://youtu.be/7ZmqJQ-nc_s — Kristina Lopez, Mar 07 '17 at 20:57
Always remember that when we pretend to act with more prestige, the result is less prestige. — Yosef Baskin, Mar 07 '17 at 21:07
Most modern varieties of English do not aspirate the 'w' in any instance of '-wh-' pronounced 'w': 'whale', 'wheat', 'whim' (and most 'who-' words are pronounced without the 'w'). If you aspirate the 'w's, then you will sound strange. RP used to do it (which is prestigious), but doesn't do it anymore, so instead of sounding prestigious it'll just sound weird. I'm sure there are local dialects that still aspirate, but those are usually not prestigious at all. — Mitch, Mar 07 '17 at 21:36
Closely related, possible duplicate of Is it affected to pronounce the “h” in wh- words such as “what”? Also see Hwat, hwere, and hwy? for good coverage, plus British upper-class pronunciation of words like “what” and “when” and Pronunciation of “Wales” and “whales” in Scotland. — choster, Mar 07 '17 at 21:38
There are times when it is useful to pronounce the aspirated "wh." For emphasis, "What! He thinks two million people voted illegally." For clarification, "Which witch is which?" The rest of the time you should do watever, or whatever, comes naturally. — Airymouse, Mar 07 '17 at 22:30
Possible duplicate of Is it affected to pronounce the "h" in wh- words such as "what"? — StoneyB on hiatus, Mar 07 '17 at 23:32
Some people are very clear articulators and you'll hear the H in their speech most of the time. Some people aren't clear articulators and you'll rarely hear the H in their speech. If you were my student I would encourage you to do the WH, as it would make your English easier to understand. — aparente001, Mar 08 '17 at 04:32
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation_of_English_⟨wh⟩ "the pronunciation differs between regions and accents" See "wine-whine merger" — GEdgar, Oct 06 '23 at 16:25

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 06 '23 at 07:21

1

There can be no doubt in my mind that the aspirated /wh/ sounds more elegant, more beautiful - speaking as an Irish person. It also retains the minimal difference which distinguishes one word from another - surely a useful distinction. What next? Will they tell us to pronounce ‘thyme’ and ‘Thames’ with an initial ‘t’ sound’. The barbarians are at the door.

edited Oct 06 '23 at 07:21

KillingTime

6,206

answered Oct 06 '23 at 06:09

Juddt

29

2

Hi, Juddt. Your answer is not an answer. It should have been a comment as it is a personal opinion. Answers should be backed by referenced facts. – Greybeard Oct 06 '23 at 09:12
Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. – Community Oct 06 '23 at 09:13
Don't the Irish already pronounce "th" as /t/ or /d/ in all words? Is this a joke? – Stuart F Oct 07 '23 at 09:43

score -2 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 07 '17 at 20:48

-2

You can hear the difference in "will" and "what" - the h modifies the w (your lower lip comes forward and the sound is a little more plosive) but is not heard.

So, the answer is "no" ;-)

answered Mar 07 '17 at 20:48

Chris Pink

242

Not sure this is true at least for most speakers of British English. The distinction is between voiced and unvoiced, and is clearly audible in dialects where it is made; it is inaudible in dialects without a distinction. – Stuart F Oct 07 '23 at 09:45

The aspiration on "wh" words

2 Answers2