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16.19: Lesson Forty-three

Created by: CK-12

Two Other Spellings of [w]

1. Underline the letters that spell [w] in the following words:

& \text {awhile}&& \text {request}&& \text {quantity}&& \text {qualities}\\&\text {acquaint}&& \text {quotation}&& \text {quizzes}&& \text {squirrel}\\&\text {distinguish}&& \text {language}&& \text {whistle}&& \text {frequently}\\&\text {persuade}&& \text {pueblo}&& \text {earthquake}&& \text {squeeze}\\&\text {everywhere}&& \text {somewhat}&& \text {equation}&& \text {question}\\&\text {acquire}&& \text {which}&& \text {overwhelm}&& \text {whizzed}

2. You should have found two different spellings of [w]. Seven words have the first spelling; seventeen have the second. Sort the words into the following two groups:

3. Dictionaries usually give us a choice as to how we should pronounce <wh>: either [hw] or just [w]. You might check yourself: When you say whale, does it sound exactly like your pronunciation of wail? Or do you hear a little puff of air in front, a soft [h]? Hundreds of years ago, whale was spelled hwāl, and the <h> was pronounced [h]. But in time the spelling changed, probably to make it more like the other clusters <ch>, <gh>, <sh>, and <th>. The spelling changed, but the pronunciation more or less stayed the same. Over the centuries that [h] has tended to get lost. That is why dictionaries usually show two different pronunciaitons for <wh>: [w] and [hw].

4. Look at the seventeen words in which [w] is spelled <\text{u}>. In each one mark the letter that comes right in front of the <\text{u}> that is spelling [w]. You should have found four different consonants that come before the <\text{u}>. The first of the consonants is in thirteen of the words; the second is in two words, and the third and fourth are in one word each. Sort the words into the following groups

5. It is not surprising that [w] is often spelled <\text{u}>: The letter <w> was originally just two <\text{u}>s run together. That is why <w> is called “double-<\text{u}>.”

6. Three spellings of [w] are _____, _____, and _____. The spelling <w> always comes ___________________________________________. The spelling <\text{u}> usually comes after the letter _____ and sometimes after the letters _____, _____, or _____. The spelling <wh> is sometimes pronounced _____, sometimes _____.

acquaint (8:43:1)

acquire (8:43:1)

awhile (8:43:1)

distinguish (8:43:1)

earthquake (8:43:1)

equation (8:43:1)

everywhere (8:43:1)

frequently (8:43:1)

language (8:43:1)

overwhelm (8:43:1)

persuade (8:43:1)

pueblo (8:43:1)

qualities (8:43:1)

quantity (8:43:1)

question (8:43:1)

quizzes (8:43:1)

quotation (8:43:1)

request (8:43:1)

somewhat (8:43:1)

squeeze (8:43:1)

squirrel (8:43:1)

which (8:43:1)

whistle (8:43:1)

whizzed (8:43:1)

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Date Created:

Feb 23, 2012

Last Modified:

Sep 01, 2014
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