The way we call the letter "W" in Spanish can be so confusing for Spanish learners and even for native Spanish speakers from different countries! Because the same letter has different names ("doble u", "doble ve" or "uve doble") and all of them are correct! The "right name" depends on the Hispanic country you're in or who you're speaking with.
The correct way of saying it depends on the country! In most of the Hispanic countries, they call it "double ve" or "double u".
Some countries say it the other way around: "u doble" or "ve doble" (with "doble" at the end).
What Hispanic Country says "Uve Doble"?
In Spain they say "uve doble".
Why "uve doble"?
In Spain, they call "uve" to the letter V which is why the W is called "Uve Doble".
What Hispanic Countries say "Doble Ve"?
In countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, and others they say "Doble Ve".
What countries say "Doble U"?
In Mexico, Colombia, and in some Central American countries they say "doble u".
Some say "Doble U" to the letter W because they are using the exact translation from English that's "double u". But the explanation goes a bit deeper than that (why the double "u" or "v"). Keep reading below!
Why is the letter W sometimes called "doble u"? Why "u" or "v"?
The letter W is used in the Spanish language in words that were taken from other languages such as English or German and a few others. Those words have the "u" sound when we pronounce them, the reason why some Hispanic countries call "doble u" to the "W". Examples of words with the Spanish "u" sound: whisky, wok, waffle, sandwich, Web, Wi-Fi, kiwi, Washington, etc.
Some call it "doble ve" because some words that come from the German language read the "W" as a "V" sound as in "Wagner".
If you wanna know more about its origins and different uses check the following links:
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Jess
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