The ‘wr’ sound in English

The "wr" combination in English is a historical spelling pattern that reflects changes in pronunciation over time. In Old English, the "wr" combination was pronounced as a distinct sound, representing a consonant cluster where both the "w" and "r" were sounded. This pronunciation is still present in some words in Modern English.

However, over the centuries, the pronunciation of certain letter combinations evolved, and in many cases, the "w" became silent or was no longer pronounced as a distinct sound. This led to the pronunciation of "wr" as just the "r" sound in many words.

A combination where the "w" is not pronounced distinctly is the word "wrestle."

In Old English, the word was "wrǣstan," pronounced with both the "w" and "r" sounded. In Modern English, the "w" is no longer pronounced separately, and we say "resel."

• Old English: "wrǣstan"

• Modern English: "resel"

English spelling often retains historical patterns even when the pronunciation changes. The "wr" spelling is a remnant of the earlier pronunciation, and while the "w" is no longer pronounced in many cases, it has been retained in the spelling of these words.