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Ilia
"whale" how to pronounce this word, could you write a transcription?
or whales
Sep 18, 2014 12:16 PM
Answers · 4
2
If you are worried about the 'wh' sound - don't be. Almost all native speakers nowadays would pronounce this word with a normal 'w' sound at the beginning - just like 'wail'.
The breathy 'wh' sound (in when, why, whisky etc) has virtually disappeared from modern English pronunciation, apart from in a few accents, such as some Scottish variants, and in the case of some older people who still hold onto this sound as the 'correct' pronunciation. It's now quite acceptable to say 'whale' and 'wail' in the same way.
September 18, 2014
1
W - AY- EL.........W-AY-L same for Wail (to scream) Wales (the country). :-)
September 18, 2014
1
(h)wāl is the transcription, however, A is a lilltle bit longer, similar to EI sound, W is almost like U, H is just a respiratory vocal that you do not hear when speaking.
September 18, 2014
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Ilia
Language Skills
English, Hindi, Italian, Russian
Learning Language
Hindi, Italian
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