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Common English words starting with W you should know

Vocabulary is the key to reading, speaking, and writing English fluently. In this article, let’s explore English words starting with W—one of the common letters that we sometimes overlook. You will find a complete list of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, as well as a collection of interesting idioms related to this letter. Moreover, the exercises at the end of the article will help you reinforce your knowledge of English words starting with W immediately.

100+ common English words starting with W
100+ common English words starting with W

I. English words starting with W by part of speech

In this section, PREP categorizes English words starting with W into four main groups: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, specifically:

1. Nouns beginning with W

How many 5 letter word start with W? Can you find and give me your answer?

Word beginning with W

Pronunciation

Meaning

Example Sentence

Water

/ˈwɔːtər/

A clear liquid necessary for life.

I drink a lot of water every day.

Whale

/weɪl/

A large marine mammal.

A whale is the largest mammal in the sea.

Wall

/wɔːl/

A vertical structure that encloses an area.

Hang the painting on the wall.

Walkway

/ˈwɔːkweɪ/

A path for people to walk on.

The walkway is surrounded by flowers.

Warehouse

/ˈweərhaʊs/

A large building for storing goods.

The goods are stored in the warehouse.

Warrior

/ˈwɒriər/

A person skilled in combat.

He fights like a warrior.

Warning

/ˈwɔːnɪŋ/

A statement that alerts to danger.

We should heed the warning about the storm.

Wave

/weɪv/

A movement of water in the sea.

The big wave knocked him down.

Wealth

/welθ/

A large amount of money or assets.

He built his wealth through hard work.

Weapon

/ˈwepən/

An object used to cause harm.

A gun is a dangerous weapon.

Weather

/ˈweðər/

Atmospheric conditions at a place and time.

The weather is unpredictable today.

Web

/web/

A network of threads made by a spider or the internet.

A spider spun a web in the corner.

Wedding

/ˈwedɪŋ/

A marriage ceremony.

I’m attending a wedding this weekend.

Week

/wiːk/

A period of seven days.

There are seven days in a week.

Wheel

/wiːl/

A circular object that moves vehicles.

The car’s wheel is punctured.

Whip

/wɪp/

A long, flexible tool for hitting.

The trainer used a whip gently with the horse.

Whirlwind

/ˈwɜːrlwɪnd/

A fast-moving current of air.

A whirlwind swept across the field.

Whisper

/ˈwɪspər/

A quiet, soft way of speaking.

I heard a whisper in the dark.

Whistle

/ˈwɪsl/

A high-pitched sound or instrument.

The referee blew the whistle to start the match.

Wilderness

/ˈwɪldərnəs/

An uninhabited, natural area.

They camped in the wilderness for a week.

Will

/wɪl/

A legal document stating one’s wishes.

He left a will for his children.

Willow

/ˈwɪləʊ/

A tree with long, drooping branches.

There’s a willow by the lake.

Wind

/wɪnd/

Air moving naturally.

The strong wind blew the leaves away.

Window

/ˈwɪndəʊ/

An opening in a wall for light and air.

She opened the window for fresh air.

Wing

/wɪŋ/

A part of a bird or aircraft used for flying.

The bird injured its wing.

Winner

/ˈwɪnər/

A person who wins a competition.

The winner will receive a prize.

Winter

/ˈwɪntər/

The coldest season of the year.

Winter is my favorite season.

Wish

/wɪʃ/

A hope or desire for something.

Make a wish before you blow out the candles.

Wonder

/ˈwʌndər/

A feeling of amazement or something extraordinary.

The Grand Canyon is a natural wonder.

World

/wɜːrld/

The Earth or all human existence.

We live in a beautiful world.

Nouns beginning with W
Nouns beginning with W

2. Verbs beginning with W

Word beginning with W

Pronunciation

Meaning

Example Sentence

Walk

/wɔːk/

To move on foot.

I walk to school every morning.

Wander

/ˈwɒndər/

To move without a specific direction.

She likes to wander around the old town.

Want

/wɒnt/

To desire something.

I want to go abroad next year.

Wash

/wɒʃ/

To clean with water.

Please wash the dishes after dinner.

Waste

/weɪst/

To use something carelessly.

Don’t waste your time watching too much TV.

Watch

/wɒtʃ/

To look at something attentively.

I watch the news every evening.

Wave

/weɪv/

To move the hand to greet or signal.

Wave at the camera for the photo.

Weaken

/ˈwiːkən/

To make something less strong.

Lack of exercise can weaken your muscles.

Weep

/wiːp/

To cry softly.

She began to weep after hearing the sad news.

Weigh

/weɪ/

To measure how heavy something is.

Could you weigh these apples for me?

Welcome

/ˈwelkəm/

To greet warmly.

They welcome their guests warmly.

Weld

/weld/

To join metals by melting them.

He can weld metal parts together.

Whip

/wɪp/

To beat cream or eggs rapidly.

Whip the cream until it’s thick.

Whisk

/wɪsk/

To mix quickly using a whisk.

You need to whisk the egg whites until fluffy.

Whisper

/ˈwɪspər/

To speak very softly.

He whispered a secret in her ear.

Whistle

/ˈwɪsl/

To make a sound by blowing air through the lips.

He likes to whistle while he works.

Widen

/ˈwaɪdn/

To make something broader.

They plan to widen the road.

Wield

/wiːld/

To handle a weapon or tool skillfully.

He wields a sword expertly.

Win

/wɪn/

To achieve victory.

She hopes to win the contest.

Wink

/wɪŋk/

To close one eye briefly as a signal.

He winked at his friend across the room.

Wipe

/waɪp/

To clean by rubbing.

Wipe the table before setting the dishes.

Wish

/wɪʃ/

To hope for something.

I wish for good health.

Wither

/ˈwɪðər/

To dry up or fade away.

The flowers will wither without water.

Withstand

/wɪðˈstænd/

To resist or endure.

She can withstand high pressure in her job.

Witness

/ˈwɪtnəs/

To see an event happen.

They witnessed the accident yesterday.

Wonder

/ˈwʌndər/

To be curious or amazed.

I wonder if he will come.

Work

/wɜːrk/

To do a job or task.

I work at a software company.

Worry

/ˈwɜːri/

To feel anxious.

Don’t worry about the results.

Worship

/ˈwɜːrʃɪp/

To show religious devotion.

They worship in the temple every Sunday.

Wrap

/ræp/

To cover or enclose something.

Please wrap the gift nicely.

Verbs beginning with W
Verbs beginning with W

3. Adjective starts with W

Words with w in English

Pronunciation

Meaning

Example Sentence

Warm

/wɔːrm/

Pleasantly hot.

It’s a warm day.

Wary

/ˈweəri/

Careful and alert.

Be wary of strangers.

Watery

/ˈwɔːtəri/

Containing too much liquid.

The soup is too watery.

Wealthy

/ˈwelθi/

Rich and prosperous.

They are a very wealthy family.

Weary

/ˈwɪəri/

Very tired.

I am weary after a long journey.

Weekly

/ˈwiːkli/

Happening every week.

We have a weekly meeting on Mondays.

Weird

/wɪrd/

Strange or unusual.

That movie was so weird.

Welcome

/ˈwelkəm/

Accepted or invited gladly.

You are welcome to join us anytime.

Well-known

/ˌwel ˈnəʊn/

Famous and recognized.

He is a well-known artist.

Western

/ˈwestərn/

Related to the west.

The western region is very dry.

Wet

/wet/

Covered with water or rain.

It’s wet outside, bring an umbrella.

Whimsical

/ˈwɪmzɪkl/

Playfully odd or unusual.

She wore a whimsical hat to the party.

White

/waɪt/

The color of snow.

She wore a white dress.

Whole

/həʊl/

Complete, entire.

I read the whole book in one day.

Wicked

/ˈwɪkɪd/

Evil or playfully bad.

The villain in the story was truly wicked.

Wide

/waɪd/

Large in size from side to side.

The river is very wide here.

Widespread

/ˈwaɪdspred/

Existing over a large area.

That idea has become widespread.

Willing

/ˈwɪlɪŋ/

Ready to do something.

She’s willing to help you move.

Windy

/ˈwɪndi/

Having strong winds.

It’s very windy today.

Wise

/waɪz/

Showing good judgment.

He made a wise decision.

Wishful

/ˈwɪʃfəl/

Full of hope or desire.

His plans seem very wishful.

Witty

/ˈwɪti/

Clever and humorous.

He is known for his witty jokes.

Woeful

/ˈwəʊfəl/

Full of sorrow or distress.

She had a woeful expression on her face.

Wooden

/ˈwʊdn/

Made of wood.

This is a wooden table.

Woolen

/ˈwʊlən/

Made of wool.

She wore a woolen scarf.

Worldly

/ˈwɜːrldli/

Experienced in life.

He has a lot of worldly experience.

Worthwhile

/ˌwɜːrθˈwaɪl/

Valuable or useful.

Learning English is very worthwhile.

Wounded

/ˈwuːndɪd/

Injured physically or emotionally.

The wounded soldier was taken to the hospital.

Wrong

/rɔːŋ/

Not correct.

Your answer is wrong.

Wry

/raɪ/

Showing dry humor or irony.

He gave a wry smile.

Adjective starts with W
Adjective starts with W

4. Adverbs beginning with W

Words with w in English

Pronunciation

Meaning

Example Sentence

Warmly

/ˈwɔːrmli/

in a friendly and affectionate way

They greeted us warmly.

Warily

/ˈwerɪli/

in a cautious or watchful way

She looked warily around.

Wearily

/ˈwɪrɪli/

in a tired or exhausted manner

He spoke wearily after the long day.

Weekly

/ˈwiːkli/

happening once a week

We publish our newsletter weekly.

Weirdly

/ˈwɪrdli/

in a strange or unusual way

She was weirdly silent the whole time.

Well

/wel/

in a good or satisfactory way

He can speak English very well.

Widely

/ˈwaɪdli/

over a large area; by many people

This method is widely used.

Willingly

/ˈwɪlɪŋli/

readily and happily

She willingly helped me.

Wisely

/ˈwaɪzli/

in a way that shows good judgment

He spent his money wisely.

Wishfully

/ˈwɪʃfəli/

in a way that expresses a desire or longing

She stared wishfully at the new phone.

Wistfully

/ˈwɪstfəli/

in a sad but thoughtful way

He looked wistfully at the old photos.

Wittily

/ˈwɪtɪli/

in a clever and humorous way

He wittily answered all the questions.

Woefully

/ˈwəʊfəli/

in a very bad or disappointing way

She was woefully late.

Wonderfully

/ˈwʌndərfəli/

in an extremely good way

The cake turned out wonderfully.

Wonderingly

/ˈwʌndərɪŋli/

in a way that shows curiosity or amazement

She asked wonderingly about the story.

Wrongly

/ˈrɔːŋli/

in an incorrect or unfair way

He was wrongly accused.

Wholeheartedly

/ˌhəʊlˈhɑːtɪdli/

with complete sincerity and enthusiasm

I wholeheartedly agree with you.

Wholly

/ˈhəʊlli/

completely; entirely

I wholly support this decision.

Winceingly

/ˈwɪnsɪŋli/

in a way that shows pain or discomfort

He listened winceingly to the harsh criticism.

Windingly

/ˈwaɪndɪŋli/

in a twisting or curving manner

The road runs windingly through the hills.

Winsomely

/ˈwɪnsəmli/

in a charming and attractive way

She smiled winsomely at the audience.

Wretchedly

/ˈretʃɪdli/

in a miserable or unhappy way

They lived wretchedly for many years.

Wrongheadedly

/ˌrɒŋˈhedɪdli/

in a stubbornly wrong way

He stuck to his plan wrongheadedly.

Wryly

/ˈraɪli/

in an ironic or dryly humorous way

She wryly remarked on the situation.

Adverbs beginning with W
Adverbs beginning with W

II. Idioms beginning with W in English

In English, there are several common idioms that start with the letter W. This section will help you better understand how to use these idioms, enhancing your ability to express yourself in conversations.

Idiom

Meaning

Example Sentence

Wade through something

to struggle with a large amount of difficult or time-consuming work

I had to wade through hundreds of pages of research.

Walk a tightrope

to be in a difficult situation that requires careful balance

He’s walking a tightrope between being honest and being tactful.

Wash one’s hands of something

to refuse responsibility for something

He decided to wash his hands of the whole project.

Watch one’s step

to be careful with one's actions or words

You’d better watch your step if you want to keep your job.

Water under the bridge

a past event that is no longer important or worth worrying about

What happened back then is just water under the bridge now.

Wave the white flag

to surrender or admit defeat

They eventually had to wave the white flag and surrender.

Wear many hats

to have multiple roles or responsibilities

She wears many hats in the company, from manager to accountant.

Weather the storm

to endure and overcome difficulties

We had to weather the storm of criticism last year.

Weave a tale

to create or tell an engaging story

He can really weave a tale to captivate his audience.

Wipe the slate clean

to forget past problems and start over

They decided to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

Idioms beginning with W in English
Idioms beginning with W in English

III. Vocabulary exercises on English words starting with W (with answers)

Below is a set of exercises designed to help you reinforce your knowledge of English words starting with W. Complete the exercises carefully, then compare your answers with the key to assess your understanding and retention.

https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/67a4312f831ab90a54231e55 

Mastering words starting with W will boost your confidence in reading, writing, and communication. Keep reviewing regularly and practice with more exercises to solidify your vocabulary. This will serve as a strong foundation for your English learning journey!

CEO Tú Phạm
Master Tu Pham
Founder/CEO at Prep
Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.

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