wistle or wwwwwwhistle?

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:35 am

How many people out there pronounce an initial wh, (as in whistle) with a whooshing little gust of air, instead of a simple "w" sound?
There's one announcer on NPR who does this, and it drives me nuts.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:43 am

brewerpaul wrote:How many people out there pronounce an initial wh, (as in whistle) with a whooshing little gust of air, instead of a simple "w" sound?
There's one announcer on NPR who does this, and it drives me nuts.

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. It's like "hwistle" with the "h" sound in front. It reminds me a lot of how Charlestonian's talk.

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:18 am

Gulity. I throw myself on the mercy of the wissle board.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:09 am

Phonetically speaking, it's more correct to put the "h" sound in there. Not that I do it, mind you.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:31 pm

Ye Gods! My elocution teacher was at me for weeks over the difference between hwistle and whistle. And then I moved to England, where the benighted natives embrace the illusion that "Wales" and "whales" are homophones. Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?

Somebody should write a song about it...

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:37 pm

Innocent Bystander wrote:Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?

You need marbles first....

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:36 pm

Innocent Bystander wrote:. And then I moved to England, where the benighted natives embrace the illusion that "Wales" and "whales" are homophones.

I had no idea they pronounced Wales as "hwales!"

Well, learn something new every day, is what I always say!

gallant_murray · Post by **gallant_murray** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:00 pm

"Hwhistle" or "hwhat" or other such pronounciatons are semi archaic forms surviving from the time when the words were actually spelled with the h in front. One of the cool things about language is that it is constantly changing. It never sits still long enough for us to say exactly what it is.

A-Musing · Post by **A-Musing** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:01 pm

My dear, angelic mother taught me to keep the H sound with the W.....but I'm a bit slovenly and verbally unkempt, so just slop out "wissul." In these moments, where the language is evaporating.....all is fair.

sssssssssssssssssssssUP?!

peteinmn · Post by **peteinmn** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:06 pm

If you're German, the correct pronunciation is "Vizzel"

At least that's how my relatives say it.

A-Musing · Post by **A-Musing** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:11 pm

Tune into Country-Western, and get you some "teyya Hwhut!!!"

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:25 pm

A-Musing wrote:Tune into Country-Western, and get you some "teyya Hwhut!!!"

In South Carolina, "Ah Tell Yoo Hwhut" is a whole conversation.

pipersgrip · Post by **pipersgrip** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:27 pm

i just add it like there is no h

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:15 pm

Wissel????? What kinda thang iz 'at?

I teh yuh what,
I play wHissssssels.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:03 pm

Wiss'l.

Did you know that "whistle" stems from the Latin "fistula"? I find that mildy disturbing.

And this thread is off-topic here, by the way.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

wistle or wwwwwwhistle?

wistle or wwwwwwhistle?

Re: wistle or wwwwwwhistle?