"Where"

[anamicabhatta]

I am confused about the pronunciation of word "where".

Is it supposed to be pronounced like "wear"?

Thank you

[Searching for language]

I am confused about the pronunciation of word "where".

Is it supposed to be pronounced like "wear"?

Thank you

Basically, yes, but in "where" if you can put something like almost taking a short, quick breath between the "w" and "h" there is a difference.

I am not a teacher. (but should be)

[Charlie Bernstein]

I am confused about the pronunciation of word "where".

Is it supposed to be pronounced like "wear"?

Thank you

In American English, yes.

Until around the middle of the twentieth century, w and wh were pronounced differently here. To make a wh sound, you blew air out of your mouth as you formed the w.

Today, it's only still used in one word, whew, which is pronounced the old way, by blowing.

[Luizao]

I would say yes!
In British English too. If you just say "wear" the pronounciation is very similar if not the same!

"Wear" were you born?

works for me

[xpert]

They are homophonous.

Were, where, wear and ware are almost pronounced identically

[Luizao]

In British English;

1) They were playing football.
and
2) Where is tom?

are pronounced differently.
I dont know how to write phonetically here and am a bit rusty anyway.

but in the first the vowel sound is short. The shwa.
Whereas the second is longer. A dipthong I think.

Perhaps Im wrong though. So please correct me if I am

If anyone else can comment here, please do.
thanks

[Charlie Bernstein]

They are homophonous.

Were, where, wear and ware are almost pronounced identically

Well...

Where and wear have a long a. They rhyme with air, hair, there, and care.

Were has no vowel sound. It rhymes with brr, grr, sir, fur, and blur.

[xpert]

Were has no vowel sound. It rhymes with brr, grr, sir, fur, and blur.

I said ALMOST identical

[BobK]

...

Were has no vowel sound. It rhymes with brr, grr, sir, fur, and blur.

In American English, maybe. In Br Eng there is distinction between "brr" [='Isn't it cold?'] and "burr" [the little green spiky thing that sticks to your trouser legs when you walk through undergrowth; also, the trace of an accent 'He's almost lost his accent, but he still has a Scottish burr'.] "Burr" has a /ɜ:/ vowel; it's not a schwa. So does 'were', though in an unstressed position it can become /ə/.

b

[Charlie Bernstein]

I said ALMOST identical

Yes, almost in the sense that two of them sound alike, so all but one do. One is pronounced differently. Let's not confuse our students - at least, not unintentionally!