English pronunciation · Words Starting with W
What Pronunciation
What is pronounced WUHT, IPA /ˈhwət/.
WUHT
US /ˈhwət/ · UK /ˈwɒt/
Syllables: WUHT (1 syllable)
pronoun and determiner: The word used to ask which thing or things are meant.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
What in a Sentence
- What time does the last train leave?
- I did not hear what she said.
- What a strange thing to put on a poster.
Common Mispronunciations of What
Not WAT
This is not really an error. Most speakers now say it exactly like watt, though some Americans and Scots keep a breathy hw at the start, as in whale.
Not WOT (as the vowel in caught)
British speakers use the short rounded o of hot and Americans a flatter uh. Neither lengthens it.
Tip: In running speech what usually loses its t before a consonant: whaddya and wha' time are normal, not sloppy.
More words starting with w · Every word in the pronunciation guide