w

See also: W, w/, ա, ⴍ, and Appendix:Variations of "w"

w	U+0077, w LATIN SMALL LETTER W

← v
[U+0076]

Basic Latin

x →
[U+0078]

ｗ	U+FF57, ｗ FULLWIDTH LATIN SMALL LETTER W

← ｖ
[U+FF56]

Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms

ｘ →
[U+FF58]

Translingual

Alternative forms

uu, vv (obsolete)

Pronunciation

IPA (file)

Letter

w (upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.
The first letter of callsigns allocated to American broadcast television and radio stations east of the Mississippi river.

Ligature

w (obsolete)

⟨uu⟩
⟨vv⟩

Symbol

w

(IPA) voiced labial-velar approximant

Gallery

Letter styles
Uppercase and lowercase versions of W, in normal and italic type
Uppercase and lowercase W in Fraktur

English

Pronunciation

(letter name): IPA^(key): /ˈdʌbl̩.juː/, /ˈdʌbə.juː/, /ˈdʌbiː.(j)uː/, /ˈdʌb.juː/, /ˈdʌb.jə/, /ˈdʌb/, /ˈdʌbz/

Audio (US)

(file)

(phoneme): IPA^(key): /w/
(letter name) Rhymes: -ʌbjə, -ʌb, -ʌbəlju

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W, plural ws or w's)

The twenty-third letter of the English alphabet, called double-u and written in the Latin script.

Etymology 2

Abbreviations

w

(stenoscript) the sound sequence /aʊ̯/.
(stenoscript) Abbreviation of we.
(stenoscript) Abbreviation of were.
(stenoscript) Abbreviation of who and its inflection whom.

Noun

w

watt
west
witness
work
Abbreviation of win.

Adjective

w

(cricket) wide
white

Preposition

w

(text messaging) Alternative form of w/
with a wing (on the Enneagram)
When Sharon took the Enneagram test, she came out as a 3w2.

Basque

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ube bikoi̯t͡s̻/, [u.β̞e̞ β̞i.ko̞i̯t͡s̻]

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-fourth letter of the Basque alphabet, called uve bikoitz and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

Used chiefly in recent loanwords and foreign proper nouns.

Danish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /dɔbəlveː/, [ˈd̥ʌb̥əlˌveːˀ]

Letter

w (uppercase W)

the twenty-third letter of the Danish alphabet

Dutch

Pronunciation

Audio (file)
Rhymes: -eː
(letter name): IPA^(key): /ʋeː/

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the Dutch alphabet.

Egyptian

Pronunciation

(modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /uː/
- Conventional anglicization: u

Particle

enclitic

(Old Egyptian) not; used to negate the subjunctive or prospective in wishes and commands

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of w

w

Noun

m

area, district
administrative district
nome [since the New Kingdom]

Inflection

Declension of w (masculine)

singular	w
dual	wwj
plural	ww

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of w

w

[Old Kingdom]

Pronoun

sg 1. enclitic (‘dependent’) pronoun

Alternative form of wj (“I, me”)

References

Erman, Adolf; Grapow, Hermann (1926) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎, volume 1, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, page 243.1–243.8
James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, 198, 415 page 51, 198, 415.

Finnish

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

A letter of the Finnish alphabet, called kaksoisvee and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

In the Finnish alphabet, w is a variant of v.
Used only in loanwords and proper names with old spelling.

French

Pronunciation

(letter name) IPA^(key): /du.blə.ve/
Audio (file)

Letter

w (uppercase W)

w

Fula

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /w/

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

A letter of the Fula alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

Common to all varieties of Fula (Fulfulde / Pulaar / Pular).

Gothic

Romanization

w

Romanization of 𐍅

Haitian Creole

Pronoun

w

Contraction of ou.

Hungarian

Pronunciation

(phoneme): IPA^(key): [ˈv]
(letter name): IPA^(key): [ˈduplɒveː]

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

A letter of the extended Hungarian alphabet, called dupla vé and written in the Latin script.

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	w	w-k
accusative	w-t	w-ket
dative	w-nek	w-knek
instrumental	w-vel	w-kkel
causal-final	w-ért	w-kért
translative	w-vé	w-kké
terminative	w-ig	w-kig
essive-formal	w-ként	w-kként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	w-ben	w-kben
superessive	w-n	w-ken
adessive	w-nél	w-knél
illative	w-be	w-kbe
sublative	w-re	w-kre
allative	w-hez	w-khez
elative	w-ből	w-kből
delative	w-ről	w-kről
ablative	w-től	w-ktől
non-attributive possessive - singular	w-é	w-ké
non-attributive possessive - plural	w-éi	w-kéi

Possessive forms of w
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	w-m	w-im
2nd person sing.	w-d	w-id
3rd person sing.	w-je	w-i
1st person plural	w-nk	w-ink
2nd person plural	w-tek	w-itek
3rd person plural	w-jük	w-ik

Ido

Pronunciation

(context pronunciation) IPA^(key): /w/
(letter name) IPA^(key): /we/

Letter

w (upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the Ido alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Indonesian

Pronunciation

(context pronunciation) IPA^(key): /w/
(letter name) IPA^(key): /wɛ/

Letter

w (upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the Indonesian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Pronoun

w

(text messaging, slang) Abbreviation of gue.
Synonym: gw

Italian

Letter

w f or m (invariable, lower case, upper case W)

the twenty-third letter of the Latin alphabet, called doppia vu or vu doppia in Italian

Usage notes

The letter W is not considered part of the Italian alphabet. It is found mainly in loanwords.

Japanese

Etymology

Short for (笑) (warai, “laughing”).

Punctuation mark

w

(Internet slang, often repeated) LOL; an expression of amusement or laughter.
このバカｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ(´∀`*)
kono baka wwwwwww (´ ∀ ` *)
you silly fool lol
ちょｗｗｗお前(まえ)のツイート伸(の)びすぎｗｗｗ有(ゆう)名(めい)人(じん)じゃんｗｗｗｗｗ
cho www omae no tsuīto nobisugi www yūmeijin jan wwwww
dude, your tweet's getting mad attention lmaoo, you're like a goddamn celebrity lol

Usage notes

w can be used multiple times in a row, as in the examples above; it is sometimes repeated to quite lengthy extents.

Derived terms

草(くさ) (kusa)

Related terms

(笑(わらい)) (warai), (藁(わら)) (wara)
ワロス (warosu), ワロタ (warota), ワラタ (warata)

Lower Sorbian

Alternative forms

we (especially before labial consonants and consonant clusters)

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *vъ(n), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /w/ (before vowels)
(silent before consonants)

Preposition

w (with locative)

in

Malay

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Maltese

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /w/

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-seventh letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Conjunction

w

Superseded spelling of u before or after a vowel.

Norwegian

Pronunciation

(letter name): IPA^(key): /ˈdɔbəlt.ˌʋeː/
(phoneme): IPA^(key): /ʋ/, /v/
Audio (file)

Letter

w

The 23rd letter of the Norwegian alphabet.

Usage notes

Only appears in loanwords from e.g. German.

Nupe

Pronunciation

(phoneme): IPA^(key): /w/

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-seventh letter of the Nupe alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Polish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /vu/
Audio (file)
Rhymes: -u
Syllabification: w

Letter

w (upper case W, lower case)

The twenty-eighth letter of the Polish alphabet, called wu and written in the Latin script.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Polish w, from Proto-Slavic *vъ(n), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *in, from Proto-Indo-European *én.

Alternative forms

we

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /v/, /f/
Audio (file)

Preposition

w

(+ locative) in, at, on (indicates location)
Od roku mieszkam we Francji. ― I've lived in France for a year.
On siedzi w więzieniu za morderstwo. ― He's in prison for murder.
Widziałam cię wczoraj w pociągu. ― I saw you on the train yesterday.
(+ locative) in (e.g. a month, a year, a century)
Urodziłem się w czerwcu. ― I was born in June.
W zeszłym roku podróżowaliśmy po Europie. ― Last year we travelled around Europe.
(+ locative) in (indicates state)
Byłem w szoku po wypadku. ― I was in shock after the accident.
Kupił dziewczynie naszyjnik w postaci serca. ― He bought his girlfriend a necklace in the shape of a heart.
(+ locative) at
Musi być coś, w czym jesteś dobry? ― There must be something you're good at?
(+ accusative) into, in, to (indicates movement)
Włożył koszulę w spodnie. ― He tucked his shirt into his trousers.
Uderzyłem go prosto w twarz. ― I hit him right in the face.
Skręć w lewo za pocztą. ― Turn (to the) left after the post office.
(+ accusative) on (e.g. a day)
W niedzielę zawsze chodzimy do kościoła. ― We always go to church on Sundays.
(+ accusative) into (indicates a change of state)
Stary młyn przekształcono w nowoczesne mieszkania. ― They turned the old mill into modern apartments.
Pokrój ziemniaki w małe kawałki. ― Cut the potatoes into small pieces.
(+ accusative) decorated with
Miała na sobie długą, granatową suknię w złote gwiazdki. ― She was wearing a long, dark blue dress decorated with little gold stars.
koszula w kratkę ― plaid shirt
geopard w cętki. ― A spotted leopard
(+ accusative) within, in the space of, in
Cały egzamin skończyłem w godzinę. ― I finished the whole exam within an hour.
Synonyms: w ciągu, w przeciągu, na przestrzeni
(+ accusative) in, as (indicates an amount or number)
Zróbmy coś fajnego, tylko w dwójkę. ― Let's do something fun, just the two of us.
W tę grę można grać w cztery osoby. ― You can play this game as a foursome.

Usage notes

Some combinations of sounds, chiefly consonant clusters at the beginning of the following noun, require that this preposition be used in the vocalized form we. Examples:

we włosach ― in the hair
we Wrocławiu ― in Wrocław

But:

w Warszawie ― in Warsaw

Portuguese

Pronunciation

Letter name:

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈda.bli.u/, [ˈda.blju] (dáblio)
- Audio (BR) (file)

Phoneme:

IPA^(key): /w/, /v/ (used in loanwords, varies according to the source language of the borrowed term)

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the Portuguese alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Romani

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

A letter used to represent the voiced labial-velar approximant (/w/) in the International Standard orthography.

References

Yūsuke Sumi (2018), “w”, in ニューエクスプレス　ロマ（ジプシー）語 [New Express Romani (Gypsy)] (in Japanese), Tokyo: Hakusuisha, →ISBN, page 16

Romanian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /v/, /w/, /u/

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-eighth letter of the Romanian alphabet, called dublu ve or dublu vî and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

Used chiefly in recent loanwords and foreign proper nouns.

Spanish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (phoneme) /w/, /ɡw/, /β/
IPA^(key): (letter name) /ˌube ˈdoble/ [ˌu.β̞e ˈð̞o.β̞le]
IPA^(key): (letter name) /ˈdoble ˌbe/ [ˈd̪o.β̞le ˌβ̞e]
- Audio (Spain) (file)

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

the 24th letter of the Spanish alphabet

Swedish

Pronunciation

Letter name

IPA^(key): /ˈdɵbɛlveː/

Phoneme

IPA^(key): /v/, (rare, in foreign loanwords) /w/
- Homophone: v (in most positions)

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the Swedish alphabet, called dubbel-ve and written in the Latin script. Previously treated as a variant of the letter v and not as its own independent letter.

Usage notes

In blackletter typography, w was commonly used instead of v. When printers (gradually during the 19th century) changed to Latin typography, spelling changed from w to v, except in some family names. However, this change does not count as a spelling reform.
In many abbreviations, Swedes say v (ve, as in German) instead of w (dubbel ve), e.g. BMW (be emm ve), VW (ve ve), WC (ve se), WHO (ve hå o), WWW (ve ve ve).

Turkmen

Pronunciation

(phoneme) IPA^(key): /β/

Letter

w (upper case W)

The twenty-seventh letter of the Turkmen alphabet, called we and written in the Latin script.

Welsh

Alternative forms

(with grave accent to indicate otherwise unpredictable short vowel): ẁ
(with acute accent to indicate unusually stressed short vowel): ẃ
(with circumflex to indicate otherwise unpredictable or unusually stressed long vowel or disyllabicity): ŵ
(with diaeresis to indicate disyllabicity): ẅ

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /uː/

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-eighth letter of the Welsh alphabet, called w and written in the Latin script. It is preceded by u and followed by y.

Mutation

w cannot be mutated but when representing a vowel, does take h-prothesis, for example with the word wy (“egg”):

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
wy	unchanged	unchanged	hwy
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Derived terms

Digraph sequences: wy

Noun

w f (plural ŵau)

The name of the Latin-script letter W.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
w	unchanged	unchanged	hw
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Alternative forms

(in negative statements; also in affirmative statements in North Wales): dw
(in affirmative statements): rw

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ʊ/, /w/

Usage notes

This word is usually found in conjunction with the pronoun i and so may be pronounced as part of a diphthong /ʊi̯/ or as /wiː/.

Verb

w

(South Wales) first-person singular present colloquial of bod (in affirmative or negative statements)
W i yn y car.
I’m in the car.
W i ddim yn hapus.
I’m not happy.

Related terms

ydw (interrogative)

Yoruba

Pronunciation

(phoneme): IPA^(key): /w/
(letter name): IPA^(key): /wí/

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-fourth letter of the Yoruba alphabet, called wí and written in the Latin script.

Zhuang

Pronunciation

(Standard Zhuang) IPA^(key): /ʔɯ˨˦/

Tone numbers: w¹

Hyphenation: w

Noun

w (1957–1982 spelling ɯ)

gum (in the eye)

Zulu

Letter

w (lower case, upper case W)

The twenty-third letter of the Zulu alphabet, written in the Latin script.

w

Translingual

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Letter

Ligature

Symbol

Gallery

See also

English

Pronunciation

Letter

See also

Etymology 2

Noun

Adjective

Preposition

Basque

Pronunciation

Letter

Usage notes

See also

Danish

Pronunciation

Letter

See also

Dutch

Pronunciation

Letter

See also

Egyptian

Pronunciation

Particle

Alternative forms

Noun

Inflection

Alternative forms

Pronoun

References

Finnish

Pronunciation

Letter

Usage notes

See also

French

Pronunciation

Letter

Fula

Pronunciation

Letter

Usage notes

See also

Gothic

Romanization

Haitian Creole

Pronoun

Hungarian

Pronunciation

Letter

Declension

See also

Further reading

Ido

Pronunciation

Letter

See also

Indonesian

Pronunciation

Letter

See also

Pronoun

Italian

Letter

Usage notes

Japanese

Etymology

Punctuation mark

Usage notes

Derived terms

Related terms