W (dŭb"'l ū), 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.