# Pronouncing "wolf" as "woof" or "wuff": how is the plural pronounced? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292 "2011-10-20T20:36:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/21 "2011-10-21T17:06:30Z")
I think for the females, the pronunciation would be “wives”. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/22 "2011-10-21T22:31:11Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > By the way I heard Kathy Bates in last night’s episode of Harry’s Law pronounce tumult as tumm-ult (first syllable as in tummy) rather than tyoo-mult, standard in the UK. Is that really how Americans generally pronounce it or is this a quirk of hers? Too (as in “took”)-mult. No diphthong. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/23 "2011-10-21T22:36:36Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Rhymes with “roof” in that dialect, if I’m not mistaken. Yes, but how is “roof” pronounced? I rhyme it with “proof,” but some people rhyme it with “hoof.” (And then, how is “hoof” pronounced? This could go on forever.) ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/24 "2011-10-22T14:16:38Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > By the way I heard Kathy Bates in last night’s episode of Harry’s Law pronounce tumult as tumm-ult Yeah, bat she don speak good English like wot we do, innit? ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/25 "2011-10-22T14:23:41Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Too (as in “took”)-mult. No diphthong. Isn’t that the same with many “tu-” words ([tube](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tube#Pronunciation), for example)? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/26 "2011-10-23T13:47:32Z")
> [@Fish\_Cheer](#): > > Isn’t that the same with many “tu-” words ([tube](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tube#Pronunciation), for example)? I don’t think I’ve ever head anyone use the same sound for both the u in tube and the oo in took. All I note is that some people say toob, and others say tyoob. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/27 "2011-10-23T14:23:20Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever head anyone use the same sound for both the u in tube and the oo in took. All I note is that some people say toob, and others say tyoob. I’d say it sound more like chube. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/28 "2011-10-23T14:39:58Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever head anyone use the same sound for both the u in tube and the oo in took. All I note is that some people say toob, and others say tyoob. You’re right, of course. Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292/29 "2011-10-23T19:30:40Z")
My dad says “wuvvs”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouncing-wolf-as-woof-or-wuff-how-is-the-plural-pronounced/600292.md?page=1)