We know expressing yourself in English can be tricky sometimes. Coming across two words that are very similar in the way they’re written or pronounced can get you into trouble. There are many examples of similar words in English, but today we are going to talk about two confusing words: “wander” and “wonder”.
As you can see, these two words are spelled very similarly. Also, depending on the country you are in, they could be pronounced almost the same.
However, they have completely different meanings, which can cause you to make some rookie mistakes. But don't you worry about a thing; we've come to the rescue!
Do you think a single letter can make a difference? Let’s take a closer look at these words.
Meaning of Wander
Wander is a word with several meanings, like many other words in the English language. In this case, all of its meanings are quite related to each other. These are the most common ways to use the word.
Wander as a verb refers to walking, but it isn’t walking as the normal movement we practice daily. It’s a slower, more relaxed form of walking. People may wander when they are lost, have nothing better to do, or are just walking around aimlessly. Maybe you have wandered a lot when visiting a new city or country!
Let's see some examples of how you can use “wander” as a verb:
“We spent the day wandering around downtown.”
“He was found wandering around the city.”
You can also use “wander” as a noun when referring to the act or instance of wandering. For example:
“Let’s go for a wander.” Weird invitation, right?
Wander as a verb also means to stray. You can wander if you are physically moving your legs, but you can also wander inside your mind. This happens when you think about something and then swiftly think of something entirely different or unrelated. You are going nowhere in your head!
Also, you can wander during a conversation. If you are talking to someone and your mind is somewhere else, you could say that you are wandering!
Here are some examples:
“We were talking about another topic, but he started to wander.”
“The writer wandered off-topic.”
“They were discussing economics, but somehow the conversation wandered, and they are now talking about football.”
Wander is usually used in very specific contexts. For example, it can be used to refer to a person who has a tendency to become confused because of his or her age. For this we say their mind is wandering:
“Her mind is beginning to wander, and she doesn't always know where she is”.
Hey, stop wandering and come back to earth!
Meaning of Wonder
What about “Wonder”? It can also be used in different ways. As a noun, for example, this word is closely related to the adjective wonderful, which means something great or magnificent. Have you heard about Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman?
A wonder is something worthy of admiration; it can be something surprising or causing astonishment. Below you can find some related expressions.
“This landscape is a wonder!”
“Congratulations, your work was a wonder!”
“The Egyptian Pyramids are one of the wonders of the ancient world.”
We also use wonder to refer to the feeling caused by something special:
“The boys were filled with wonder at the sight of the Niagara waterfalls”
“The show was full of wonder”
Or to refer to a person who is very talented, or is a genius:
“Marta solved it very quickly, she is a wonder”
As you may have noticed, wonder as a name is always used to refer to something or someone incredible. Being it a person, a place, or a feeling.
‘Wonder' as a verb, however, is not related to the noun. It is used when a person has doubts or questions or is curious about something:
“He began to wonder why he had done that. He is regretting it”
“This plan will work? I wonder”
It can also be used to ask questions in a formal manner:
“I was wondering if you could pass me the pencil”
“I wonder if you would be so kind in buying me some cookies”
Differences in pronunciation
Most people don’t pronounce “wonder” and “wander” identically. Although with some speakers, the difference is very small. Only the second letter makes the difference between the two words, and that's why it is so important you pronounce them correctly!
There is no standard or unique pronunciation, but if you keep reading we will give you some good hints!
The letter ‘a' in wander should be pronounced like the sound in “want.”
Depending on the accent, this word can be pronounced in different ways, generally, the WAN syllable has an ‘ah’ sound. In British English, it is broken down into two sounds: [WON] + [DUH] with no ‘r’ sound at the end.
As for wonder, the first syllable is like the sound of “won”. It is an ‘uh’ sound.
To help you remember, wander comes from the old English word “wandrian” and the sound of its first syllable is with an ‘AH’ sound. In contrast, wonder comes from the word “wundrian” with a ‘UH’ sound.
A side note: There's a Christmas carol called “I Wonder as I Wander” which would be very odd to listen to if the words were pronounced the same. You can look it up and learn from it!
We will go wandering
Wandering is not so much a wonder, right? Unless you are wandering around a beautiful city like Paris, where you can find some wonders like the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysées or Lionel Messi!
And please, don’t stop wondering about the English language to learn a little bit more every day!