w /ˈdʌbəl(ˌ)ju, ˈdʌbə; ˈdʌb(ˌ)ju, jə; ˈdʌbji/
 字母w
 W the twenty-third letter of the English alphabet, is usually a consonant, but sometimes it is a vowel, forming the second element of certain diphthongs, as in few, how. It takes its written form and its name from the repetition of a V, this being the original form of the Roman capital letter which we call U. Etymologically it is most related to v and u.  See V, and U. Some of the uneducated classes in England, especially in London, confuse w and v, substituting the one for the other, as weal for veal, and veal for weal; wine for vine, and vine for wine, etc.  See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 266-268.
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 W
      n 1: a heavy gray-white metallic element; the pure form is used
           mainly in electrical applications; it is found in
           several ores including wolframite and scheelite [syn: tungsten,
            wolfram, atomic number 74]
      2: the cardinal compass point that is a 270 degrees [syn: west,
          due west]
      3: a unit of power equal to 1 joule per second; the power
         dissipated by a current of 1 ampere flowing across a
         resistance of 1 ohm [syn: watt]
      4: the 23rd letter of the Roman alphabet [syn: double-u]