Why are words such as "One" and Once pronounced with a "W" sound?

Answer 1

This is one of those instances where the pronunciation of the word changed AFTER the spelling became fixed. Yahoo's own dictionary explains how the word changed:

"Over time, stressed vowels commonly become diphthongs, as when Latin bona became buona in Italian and buena in Spanish. A similar diphthongization of one and once began in the late Middle Ages in the west of England and in Wales and is first recorded around 1400. The vowel sound underwent a series of changes, such that the word's pronunciation went from (on)['own' -much as it still is in "alone" and "only"] to (u-own), with two syllables, to (wown) to (wOOn) to (woon) and finally to (wun). In southwest England, this diphthongization happened to other words beginning with the long o sound, such as oats, pronounced there now as (wuts). Only in one and once did this diphthongal pronunciation gain widespread usage"
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/one

(Check to link to see the more exact sounds made by the vowel -- I was not able to copy the symbols, so wrote an approximation above.)


Also, note the date -- the 15th century was the time of the inventing of the printing press, but it was ALSO a time till the mid 16th century) when MAJOR changes in English pronunciation were going on. There is much speculation about why these changes took place as rapidly as they did . A major factor was probably mostly from the interaction of dialects as certain populations moved and interacted.... and the population shifts were, at least in part, the results of dislocation after the Black Death. (So many of the problems that "plague" modern English spelling may perhaps owe something to a REAL plague.)

For a bit on shifts in English pronunciation and spelling see:
http://www.historyhouse.com/in_history/spelling/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift

Answer 2

Beacause english language sound of words is not related to the way words are written.

Answer 3

English is not a phonetic language.

Otherwise A is for apple ( would rhyme with maple).

Answer 4

They have no w sound One is just like on almost and once has the c's S sound onse

Answer 5

It's a matter of phonetic differntiation between nouns, I suppose!: 'One vs Own' and 'Once' vs 'Ounce'!

Answer 6

I'll sing you a little song:

"Cak becomes Cake with me"
"Rak becomes Rake with me"
"I'm magic, magic E"

Answer 7

Because oh-knee and ohnss would sound daft.

Answer 8

I don't know, but here are a few more for you that also begin with a 'w' sound:

Winky
W@nker
Widdle
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wee wee

Answer 9

That is the way it is .... like quick - same w sound no w.

Answer 10

basic law of english!