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Glite Dictionary
double-u

double-u

9.9
The spoken or written name for the letter W in English
  • noun
  • /ˈdʌbəl juː/
translation icon : doble u
  • The letter double-u is the 23rd letter of the English alphabet.

Examples

  • When spelling the word 'water,' the second letter is double-u.

  • The double-u (w) apparently evolved many centuries later in other languages, but not Roman numerals.

    Blog text (30)

  • In the English alphabet, double-u comes after the letter V.

Synonyms

W
vsdouble-u
5 8.2

The 23rd letter of the alphabet

is the English name for that letter position rather than the Roman one
w
vsdouble-u
8.4

A letter that is the twenty-third in the English alphabet

is the spoken name used for that letter rather than the symbol

Surface Forms

double-u singular
double-us plural

Morphology

double-u = double + u (transparent) = double + u

The name is a straightforward compound 'double' + 'u' referring to two U shapes; learners who know 'double' and the letter 'U' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Double-u comes from the parts double and u, where double means 'two' and u is the letter 'U'. In old writing the letter looked like two joined U shapes, and many languages still call it 'double V' because it looks like two V shapes. So the name helps you remember that this is the letter W.