# Wander vs. wonder **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 24, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903 "2014-07-24T03:05:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**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 24, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/1 "2014-07-24T03:05:39Z")
More and more I’m hearing these two words pronounced the same. I dread the Christmas season, when I hear the song “I Wonder as I Wander” . . . or is it “I Wander as I Wonder” I can’t tell any more. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/2 "2014-07-24T03:29:28Z")
How about a Winter Wanderland? ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/3 "2014-07-24T18:28:21Z")
There,they’re,their,it’ll be all right (maybe):smack: ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/4 "2014-07-24T18:56:13Z")
Spotter vs Sputter. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/5 "2014-07-24T19:00:49Z")
Wander has a wand in it. Wonder has a one in it. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/6 "2014-07-24T20:27:14Z")
I haven’t noticed these words converging. Is wander becoming more wondery, or is wonder more wandery? Or are they meeting in the middle? ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/7 "2014-07-24T21:08:21Z")
Coming from DC Comics: Princess Diana puts away her swimsuit and tiara, and travels the globe anonymously righting wrongs. It’s _Wander Woman_! Actually, now that I think of it, that’s not a bad idea for a revamp of the character. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/8 "2014-07-25T16:13:04Z")
Well, I think some people pronounce them the same way because they’re unaware they are two different words. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/9 "2014-07-25T16:32:26Z")
“Wander” is the one that rhymes with “yonder.” (“Wonder” rhymes with “thunder.”) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/10 "2014-07-25T17:10:17Z")
Let Wander Sykes play Wonder Woman and see what the fallout will be… ---
**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:** [July 26, 2014, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/11 "2014-07-26T10:38:50Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > “Wander” is the one that rhymes with “yonder.” (“Wonder” rhymes with “thunder.”) Neither one rhymes with “thunder” in my accent. Thunder is [θʌndɚ] while wonder is [wɔndɚ], slightly more open. Oddly, I do say wonderful as [wʌndɚfəl], as if it rhymed with “thunder-ful.” Anyways, I’ve definitely heard people say wander the same way I say wonder, for pretty much all my life. I’ve actually heard people sing “I wonder as I wonder out under the sky.” ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/12 "2014-07-28T19:48:53Z")
What I’ve seen on a travel forum I read is “wonder” taking the place of “wander”. As in, “I’m going to take a wonder around this neighborhood.” 99% of those wondering around are Brits and Aussies. Americans would probably screw it up too but they mostly avoid the problem by saying “walk” instead of “wander/wonder.” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/13 "2014-07-28T20:08:28Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > “Wander” is the one that rhymes with “yonder.” (“Wonder” rhymes with “thunder.”) Thank you, Captain Obvious! 🙂 ---
**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:** [August 5, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wander-vs-wonder/693903/14 "2014-08-05T23:50:57Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Thank you, Captain Obvious! 🙂 😕 If it were “obvious” to everyone, I wouldn’t have started this thread.