Why does U sound like W in words like “penguin”?

Asked by Last Modified  

4 Answers

Follow 0
Answer

Please enter your answer

E-Tutor for Spoken English, French and Communication

That's because, usually, when "ui" comes together in a word, then it's pronounced as "wi". For example, "Quilt" is pronounced "Qwilt"; "Quill" is pronounced "Qwill", and so on. (There are exceptions to the rule, of course. But this is generally the case.)
Comments

Online and One on One Personality Development/Soft Skills/ Spoken English/ IELTS Trainer (9 yrs Exp)

U doesn't sound like W it's just the natural transition the lips make going from the /u?/ sound to the /?/ sound.Try it yourself: say "goo-in" making sure not to deliberately say "gwin". It's there anyway.
Comments

Learning Made Easy

Veena is right when "ui" comes together in a word, then it's pronounced as "wi"
Comments

Master Coach

Actually the pronunciation of 'gui" in penguin, languid and sanguine sounds somewhat like w due to the transition of the vowel sounds, but if you say pengwin and penguin you will realize the difference. So try not to consciously pronounce it as pengwin.
Comments

View 2 more Answers

Related Questions

What is the effective method to learn and memorize English vocabularies ?
https://vz-3ad30922-ba4.b-cdn.net/5eab2fcf-cbc9-4aa5-b693-0a5044cff56a/play_480p.mp4
Profile Photo
Anitha
What part of speech is "been" in the English language?
The word 'been' is the past participle form of the verb 'be'.
Profile Photo
Jaleeluddin
What are the major differences between the old Tamil language and the modern Tamil language?
The primary differences between Old Tamil and Modern Tamil lie in vocabulary, with some changes in grammar, where Modern Tamil has adopted a more simplified structure, and has incorporated loanwords from...
Profile Photo
Varada
0 0
View Comments6
What is the origin/history of Tamil language?
The Tamil language originates from the Proto-Dravidian language, believed to have been spoken around the third millennium BCE in the southern Indian region, and is considered one of the oldest classical...
Profile Photo
Komal
0 0
View Comments5

Now ask question in any of the 1000+ Categories, and get Answers from Tutors and Trainers on UrbanPro.com

Ask a Question

Related Lessons

Role of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) in Personality Development
NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a technology developed by Dr Richard Bandler and Dr John Grinder in 1970 in California University Santacruz. Neuro: Nervous System through which experience is received...
Profile Photo

Believing in our dreams is half the battle won!!!
Being educated and literate are essential stark realities of today's generation. Just because we don a certain attire or live an amazing lifestyle is no mark of literacy. Especially, if we as Indians do NOT use even half of our brains!!!
E

English Conversation : Office Rumor
1.office rumor: a story, gossip, or piece of news that may or may not be true that many people in an office or company are talking about Have you heard the latest office rumor? She is always spreading...
Profile Photo

Know Why You Are Doing IT
This might sound obvious, but if you don’t have a good reason to learn a language, you are less likely to stay motivated over the long-run. Wanting to impress English-speakers with your French is...
Profile Photo

How To Use Can In English?
We use the modal can to make general statements about what is possible: It can be very cold in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold in winter) You can easily lose your way in the dark. (= People often...
Profile Photo

Recommended Articles

When globalization was out of picture, it was enough to know just the mother tongue. Since globalization and out-sourcing have become part of life, there is a nagging need to learn new languages. Foreign languages help us to communicate with potential clients, sell our ideas and bond with their culture. It could be opening...

Read full article >

If you think English is enough to communicate with anybody in this world, you are sadly misinformed. Statistically the highest spoken foreign language in the world is Chinese with 20.7%, followed by English at 6.2%. That means that 93.8% of people do not speak English. This makes it necessary to learn another foreign language...

Read full article >

Learning any second language could be a little bit tricky. However, to learn a language, one needs to write, read, understand and speak it appropriately. Therefore, many students and professionals find it helpful in learning a foreign language from a reputable and reliable source. A second language helps them to increase...

Read full article >

Due to globalization of the Indian economy, the demand for learning foreign languages is on the rise. ITES (Information Technology Enabled Service) and Outsourcing have brought a lot of job opportunities paving the way for the learning foreign languages. German is the native language of more than 100 million people in...

Read full article >

Looking for Spoken English classes?

Learn from the Best Tutors on UrbanPro

Are you a Tutor or Training Institute?

Join UrbanPro Today to find students near you