Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Chan-Seung Lee]

I can't tell pronunciation of 'weather' and 'whether'.
Aren't they the same?
Can you let me know if they are the same or not?
If they are different, can you tell me how to pronounce them each?


Thanks.

[CP]

"Whether" is supposed to have some huff to it, unlike "weather," almost as if it were spelled "hwether." Similarly, "what," "when," "why," and "where" are supposed to sound as though spelled with "hw" instead of "wh" at the beginning.

Put your hand close to your mouth and say, "where, wear, where, wear." You should feel a puff of air for "where" but not for "wear." Same for "whether / weather."

That said, many Americans do not pronounce "whether" any differently from "weather," nor "where" differently from "wear." They do not say "why" any differently than "Y," either. But they should, and if you do, you will be speaking English better than they do!
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