Homophones

[George38]

I work in a college that cites to students that words like whale and wail, where and were, which and witch are homophones. I think this is wrong as I feel they are not true homophones as they are pronounced slightly differently. Am I correct, or am I just being picky?

[elliemay1]

I also think that they aren't homophones.

[losgigs]

Where/wear (not were) are pronounced the same aren't they, as are which/witch and whale/wail? May depend on regional accents of course.

[Jackdaw33]

You are correct. Read (past tense) and red are true homophones.

[The Builder]

Homophones: communication devices used by the gay community ;o)

[bednobs]

are wail and whale pronounced differently?
where and were are though

[SirOracle]

I would agree with you George.

The BBC are the greatest offenders in mispronouncing the three examples which you have cited.

As a Scot I wince every time I hear them misusing the Queen's English.

[SirOracle]

LOL @ The Builder.

[elliemay1]

wear/were are homophones but not where

[Jackdaw33]

Words beginning with wh have an h sound at the beginning; so hwale, but wail.

[George38]

I am also a Scot SirOracle which gave rise to my question in the first place. I feel that the examples that I mentioned should be pronounced as in the Queens English as opposed to regional dialects.

[hc4361]

wear/were are not homophones.

[Pete65]

They are not homophones.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO at a pinch you could suggest there is a subtle difference Wail/Whale and Witch/Which, due to the 'h', and a lesser extent the 't'; but for the majority of English speakers I reckon they would be pronounced identically. As folk have pointed out though, there is a large difference between Were and Where.

[Jackdaw33]

But we're is often pronounced as wear

[Old_Geezer]

Not by anyone I know.

[hc4361]

We're is pronounced we ur

[Peter Pedant]

yeah you're right
I think people are identifying the vowel change in some dialects

but yes I recollect which and where were aspirated hware and hwich
I havent heard it pronounced like that for fifty years tho

Clare and Cher are true rhymes in Liverpool tho; Clare rhymes with 'were' up there in case you were wondering what violence was visited on those two innocents

[Peter Pedant]

yeah the 't' in wail and whale - see above
I make sure I pronounce it every time

[pixie374]

Clare and cher rhyme everywhere?