On a related note, when did ‘woah’ become an acceptable spelling of this word?
Based on my NextDoor.com feed:
Thoroughfare
Through affair
Hopefully this is an isolated instance.
Both forms of spelling derive from the word “Ho”, another example of confusing words.
Hoe - A tool for working the earth
Ho - Expression of surprise or a prostitute
Don Ho - Hawaiian guy that sings Tiny Bubbles
I will contemplate this on the tree of whoa.
It goes back to at least 1974, when Morris Albert lamented this egregious misspelling.
Whoa, “woah” woe! Feelings.
Huh. I’ve only noticed the egregious misspelling within the past decade, always on social media.
Aggravates me every time.
It is more of a British thing. They are notoriously bad spellers, apparently trying to dispose of a surfeit of 'U’s.
Was it Velvet Jones who popularized this spelling?
wail: to cry long and piteously
whale: a large marine mammal
wale: a ridge, mark or stripe; to mark the flesh with wales or weals
Even Wiktionary has “The wrench wouldn’t budge, even though Tony was just whaling on it with a big old sledge hammer.” !! Apparently some people pronounce “wine” and “whine” identically…
https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4599
ETA: Since preview doesn’t seem to be working for this link, it’s to a “Language Log” discussion of “Whaling/Wailing/Waling on.” Apparently there’s significant controversy over which is the correct spelling.
We also have:
Wane - To decrease or the rough portion of a board cut from a log
Wain - An open farm wagon
Wayne - A common name that once meant ‘wagonmaker’ or ‘wainright’.
Weigh’n - Elided pronunciation for how much something weighs.
At least there is no such word as ‘wheyn’
peel: the rind of a fruit
peal: the loud ringing of a bell
hoard: an accumulation of valuables
horde: a great company
Whored: acted as prostitute
tale / tail
sow / sew
…So ?
succour: assistance
sucker: something that sucks; a lollipop, suction cup, etc.
Note that this is one of those words where the American spelling drops the (second) u.