# A pronunciation question for you. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045 "2003-07-22T00:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/1 "2003-07-22T00:20:40Z")
A couple of my cousins, and some other people I’ve come across, pronounce the word “weapon” as though it were spelled “wheppon”. Pronounce the “h”. So does that dude on _Star trek_ with the wattles in his forehead. Where on Earth does this come from? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/2 "2003-07-22T01:43:35Z")
I pronounce it “wheppon” as well, **mangeorge** , at least, I think I do. (I’ve only seen two episodes of _Star Trek_ and don’t know how the weird foreheaded guy pronounces it). How do you pronounce it? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/3 "2003-07-22T01:52:53Z")
wepin! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/4 "2003-07-22T02:42:08Z")
I’m definitely seeing a trend here. Do you have forehead wattles that contain little blow holes, connected to your airway, causing you to aspirate your Ws? Just a hunch. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/5 "2003-07-22T03:06:50Z")
I’m confused. Is there a difference between ‘wen’ and ‘when’? Just how strongly is that ‘h’ being aspriated? I assume we’re talking about Michael Dorn, here, and I’ve never noticed anything unusual in his speech… ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/6 "2003-07-22T03:07:40Z")
Ok, I got my lazy ass moving and found his name. It’s Worf, the [Klingon](http://www.startrek.com/library/individ.asp?ID=112448). I say weppon, by the way. No aich. And I certainly don’t mean to put down anyone else’s pronounciation. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/7 "2003-07-22T03:14:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MonkeyMensch \* > \*\*I’m confused. > > Is there a difference between ‘wen’ and ‘when’? > > Just how strongly is that ‘h’ being aspriated? I assume we’re talking about Michael Dorn, here, and I’ve never noticed anything unusual in his speech… \*\* Wow, you jumped ahead of me, **MonkeyMensch**. I’m referring to the character, not the actor, and he aspirates it pretty strongly. Most people do so a lot more softly. Still confused? ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/8 "2003-07-22T04:15:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MonkeyMensch \* > \*\*I’m confused. > > Is there a difference between ‘wen’ and ‘when’? > \*\* There can be, depending on ones dialect. My own dialect does have a difference. Essentially, one begins to aspirate before pronouncing the “w” and aspirates throughout the sound. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/9 "2003-07-22T08:06:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > **…No aich…** I presume you mean, no “haich”…Unless you finish you sentences with “Guv’nor” ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/10 "2003-07-22T08:15:44Z")
I say _wepun_. I also pronounce _which_ and _witch_ differently, though slightly so. I also pronounce the _h_ in _months_. I think that if anyone who pronounces it _whepun_ thought about what they were doing, they’d stop. ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/11 "2003-07-22T09:53:21Z")
some Irish even pronounce the “h” before the “w”. they go around saying things like “hwhen” and “hwhere”. Usually when they want to put emphaisi on the word. Sounds really strange. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/12 "2003-07-22T10:01:16Z")
I do not pronounce the “h”. ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/13 "2003-07-22T10:30:22Z")
so how did you pronounce what you just typed? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/14 "2003-07-22T10:34:09Z")
> [@](#): > > some Irish even pronounce the “h” before the “w”. I’m English, and I distinctly remember my junior school teacher telling us the “correct” way to pronounce “wh-” words was to imagine that the h came before the w. > [@](#): > > I presume you mean, no “haich”…Unless you finish you sentences with “Guv’nor” Nope, it’s “aitch”. So sez my dicksunree. “Haitch” just sounds so council. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/16 "2003-07-22T11:16:29Z")
Here in NZ wh is pronounced as F. We have towns like Whakatane, prounounced Fuck-a-ta-neigh. But weapon is just plain old weapon. ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/17 "2003-07-22T11:59:26Z")
The “wh” or “hw” sound is a voiceless version of the standard “w” (a voiced labio-velar approximant). As well as in Ireland, the voiceless pronunciation is common in Scotland, although from personal experience pronunciation seems to vary from word to word and person to person, with few (if any) people beginning all words spelt “wh” with an unvoiced sound. Pronouncing a word spelt “w” (not “wh”) with a voiceless initial sound as your Klingons do is an error akin to someone who drops (h)aitches putting extra (h)aitches before words that correctly begin with vowels. Common with people trying to put on a pronunciation they are not familiar with. Random fact: the quh in names like Colquhoun was another way of writing the voiceless “wh” sound in Scots. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/18 "2003-07-22T23:41:30Z")
This reminds me of something my twin cousins did that _was_ wierd. But that’s another thread. Anyway, this stuff is interesting to me. Thanks, folks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/19 "2003-07-23T00:38:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*I’m referring to the character, not the actor, and he aspirates it pretty strongly. \*\* You realize, of course, that when you hear the character speaking, you’re actually hearing the actor speaking. Just checking. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/20 "2003-07-23T00:50:09Z")
So, Walter Koenig has a (bad) Russian accent? Dorn’s diction is far different when he’s in character as Worf than when he’s just being himself (or when he’s playing other characters). This seems to be distinction mangeorge is making. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045/21 "2003-07-23T01:01:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by panache45 \* > \*\*You realize, of course, that when you hear the character speaking, you’re actually hearing the actor speaking. > > Just checking. \*\* Haven’t been around actors much, have you. Or theatre? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-question-for-you/190045.md?page=2)