Pronunciation of werewolf

[PotteringPondering]

When I was growing up everybody pronounced it WEER-WOLF.

Now everybody seems to pronounce it WHERE-WOLF. I'm assuming it's an American thing. But even films with British accents seem to say 'WHERE-WOLF, no doubt for the American market.

I find this odd, particularly given the pronunciation of mere, here, sphere, sincere, adhere, revere etc.

I guess there's also premiere and derriere, but they both come from French words where a grave accent helps the 'air' sound (première, derrière).

The best evidence for the defence is there and where. But I suspect shenanigans going on with the h in both cases, which creates the AIR sound.

If I see an American werewolf round here I'm going to give it a sincere kick in the derrière.

Grew up with weer, but ware doesn't sound wrong, so suspect I heard both along the the way. (Grew up in Dorset, now 50s.)

all is Scot’s probably remember primary teachers going on about ‘whhhhh-ich’ and ‘witch’ etc.

Never heard it pronounced "weerwolf" either

Ware-wolf for me in Ireland

Weer- wolf sounds a bit silly imho.

I bet you also pronounce vampire vampeer don’t you OP?

I've heard both pronunciations all my life.

Same for me in South Wales.

Ware-wolf

I’ve always said weir wolf, but then I’m always being told off for pronouncing words incorrectly, such as fairy for ferry. I can’t hear the difference.

In the minority but agree with OP

I would say weer too (actually more like wee-a-wolf), but admit now I think of it I only hear it being said where.

NE England here and only ever heard werewolf pronounced wear-wolf.

However, Latin for man is vir pronounced weer* so there's a chance that while other languages changed the pronunciation to ware some kept weer 🤷🏻

*I'm still an early learner so don't @ me if I'm way off base.

I can't think of what the difference in pronunciation of wine and whine could be 😁 I'm going to YouTube

Another Scot here and totally agree with this.

I grew up in Dorset, late 40s, all my family also said weer-wolf.
I thought nothing of it until my husband - not from Dorset - started to rib me about it.
my family do, however, pronounce other things weirdly so I tend to assume I’m wrong in these things.

wear-wolf for me (Scotland)

I can't think of what the difference in pronunciation of wine and whine could be 😁 I'm going to YouTube

Do you pronounce Wales and whales the same?

Well there is a "h" (huh) sound in one and not the other 🤣

Wine

and

W(huh) -ine

Same as

Wales

and

W-(huh) -ales

Ware-wolf and sloth (as in both)

South-East

Weer-wolf here, when I was growing up. North West UK.

Yes, it was weerwolf when I was growing up too - I have to think about the word now before I say it. I'm 51 and from West Midlands.

its a completely different mouth shape. ‘Wh’ is like blowing out - purse your lips and blow.

W is how you probably pronounce it.

Born in the 60s here and lived in London until 2009 and have only ever heard it pronounced like this -

%3D

It's one of my favourite songs.

What!

I have never heard anyone make a huh sound in whales or whine. Wales and whales sounds completely the same for me.

I've also never heard anyone say weer wolf

It was always wear-wolf for me. I never heard it pronounced weir-wolf but I did notice that people were pronouncing the Wallace & Gromit film as weir-rabbit.

Wer - wolf. Not wear or weer or whare

Werwolf like Mermaid

I heard a radio interview with a university professior who specialises in sloths who said that both pronunciations are acceptable, but that she uses the pronunciation that rhymes with cloth, rather than both, because there's a moth that lives on sloths called the "sloth moth" and it sounds better if they rhyme. (Sorry for the tongue twister!).