The Case Against Double-U
A letter this powerful deserves a name this simple.
It's the only multi-syllabic letter.
Say the alphabet out loud. A, B, C, D... every single letter is one syllable. Then you get to W. Double-u. Three syllables. It breaks the rhythm of the entire alphabet. Children learning to read stumble here. Adults still slow down.
It's not even accurate.
Look at a W. Now look at two U's side by side: UU. Does that look like a W to you? No.
Now look at two V's: VV. That's a W. The French are a little better — they call it "double-vé." The Spanish: "doble uve." We're all doing it wrong!
It's not phonetically named.
Every consonant in English is named phonetically — B sounds like "bee", D like "dee", F like "ef", G like "gee". The name tells you something about the sound. "Double-u" tells you nothing. It's a description of a shape that isn't even accurate.
History doesn't excuse it.
Yes, W originated from a ligature of two U's (or V's — they were the same letter in medieval Latin). But we don't keep outdated things just because of history. Languages evolve. It's time W's name caught up.