W
Twenty-third letter of the Latin alphabet
Why this is trending
Interest in “W” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-26.
Categorised under Science & Nature, this article fits a familiar pattern. Interest in science articles on Wikipedia often follows major discoveries, published studies, or tech industry news.
GlyphSignal tracks these patterns daily, turning raw Wikipedia traffic data into a curated feed of what the world is curious about. Every spike tells a story.
Key Takeaways
- W , or w , is the twenty-third letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide.
- Name The name “double-u” reflects stages in the letter’s evolution when it was considered two of the same letter, a double U.
- ” prefix has been influential in promoting these shortened pronunciations.
W, or w, is the twenty-third letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is double-u, plural double-ues.
Name
The name “double-u” reflects stages in the letter’s evolution when it was considered two of the same letter, a double U.
Some speakers shorten the name “double u” into “dub-u” or just “dub”; for example, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, University of Wyoming, University of Waterloo, University of the Western Cape and University of Western Australia are all known colloquially as “U Dub”, and the automobile company Volkswagen, abbreviated “VW”, is sometimes pronounced “V-Dub”. The fact that many website URLs require a “www.” prefix has been influential in promoting these shortened pronunciations.
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