We
The letter double u is called We in German.
Use We when spelling words aloud or naming the letter W.
When do people say it?
Web addresses starting with three of this letter are read out by repeating We three times.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'double U', a German speaker is actually saying 'double V'. This reflects the historical evolution of the letter's shape in the Latin alphabet.
- In German, the letter W is pronounced as a 'v' sound, whereas the English 'v' sound is produced by the letter V, which is often called Vau.
- When Germans see the English letter W, they often instinctively pronounce it as a 'v' sound unless they are specifically speaking English. This can lead to 'Winston' being pronounced as 'Vinston' by non-fluent speakers.
Example conversation
Felix and Sarah are practicing spelling words together.
- FelixWie buchstabiert man den Namen?How do you spell the name?
- SarahEs ist ein We.It is a W.
- FelixMeinst du das We?Do you mean the W?
- SarahJa, genau, ein We.Yes, exactly, a W.
