Editing W

[[Image:Proto-semiticW-01.svg|thumb|Proto-semiticW-01|right]] [[File:PhoenicianW-01.svg|thumb|PhoenicianW-01|left]] [[Image:Phoenician waw.svg|thumb|Phoenician waw.svg]] [[Image:Early Aramaic character - vav.svg|thumb|Early Aramaic character - vav|right]] [[File:Latin letter W.svg|thumb|Latin letter W|right]] [[File:Proto-semiticW-01.png|thumb|Proto-semiticW-01.png]] {{clear}}== W ==
'''W''' is the 23rd letter of the modern [[Latin alphabet]] and the [[ISO basic Latin alphabet]]. It is a [[consonant]] in the English language and is used in various other languages as well. The letter W is unique in that it is one of the few letters in the English alphabet that has a name that does not correspond to its phonetic sound.
=== History ===
The letter W originated from the [[digraph]] "VV" used in the [[Old English]] alphabet. It was later replaced by the single character "W" in the [[Middle Ages]]. The letter W was introduced to the [[Latin alphabet]] by the [[Normans]] and has since become a standard letter in the English alphabet.
=== Usage in English ===
In English, W is used to represent a variety of sounds, most commonly the voiced labio-velar approximant /w/. It appears in many common words such as "water," "window," and "world." The letter W is also used in various [[digraphs]] such as "wh" and "wr."
=== Phonetic Representation ===
In the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA), the letter W is represented by the symbol [w]. It is classified as a voiced labio-velar approximant, which means it is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the velum and the lips.
=== Variants ===
The letter W has several variants in different languages and scripts:
* In [[German]], W is pronounced as /v/.
* In [[Welsh]], W can function as a vowel, representing the sounds /u/ and /ʊ/.
* In [[Polish]], W is pronounced as /v/.
=== Computing Codes ===
In [[Unicode]], the capital W is encoded at U+0057 and the lowercase w is encoded at U+0077. In [[ASCII]], the capital W is represented by the decimal code 87 and the lowercase w by the decimal code 119.
=== Related Letters and Characters ===
* [[V]]: The letter V is closely related to W, as W originated from a double V.
* [[U]]: The letter U is also related, as it shares a similar shape and historical development with V and W.
=== See Also ===
* [[Latin alphabet]]
* [[Old English alphabet]]
* [[International Phonetic Alphabet]]
* [[Digraph (orthography)]]
[[Category:Latin letters]]
[[Category:English language]]
[[Category:Phonetics]]
{{Latin-alphabet-stub}}