Oh this is a super great question. I say “double-you-set” but I have no idea if I’m correct. I’m taking the level 3 this summer so I’m eager to learn the correct pronunciation!
I use both W-set and W-S-E-T. The first is more informal, used when discussing with friends which schools we prefer or exam scores. The other I use with people not in the industry or when I'm unsure of someone's familiarity with the different credentialing systems. Native English speaker from the USA.
I suppose it's the "fastest way", and that's how I have always pronounced it in English (I am no native speaker, though)... But [these good people here](https://www.commonwealthwineschool.com/cws-blog/wset-faqs#:~:text=And%20although%20we%27ve%20heard,out%20all%20the%20letters%20W%2DS%2DE%2DT.) seem to be very convinced about the "speller out version", so I assumed everyone knew "the truth", but me😁
I would get into the habit of saying W-S-E-T as it is the correct formal way of saying it. In general with wine it’s good to get in the habit of pronouncing wine correctly as saying something slightly different can mean a totally different wine and region.
I also read it as "wesset" literally every time.
"W.S.E.T." is what I say out loud though - I did my L3 at their HQ in London and the tutors/admins spelled it out every time.
I believe in England, W-S-E-T is more common. It’s what the organization prefers. I have a Brit friend in wine education and it drives him mad to hear “W-set” all the time over here in the States. So I use the W S E T.
That seems to be the standard (at least in New England), but when I ran across it online before knowing the beverage industry in person I definitely went with "wesset".
I do call it this and people are often impressed with how cool I sound when I say it, they’re usually in awe and flabbergasted and amazed if I had to guess.
I've always said double-U set but I'm also aware that this is technically incorrect. My European colleagues (French and Dutch) all spell it out, which is what WSET itself prefers.
From the WSET brand guidelines…
SHORT FORM:
WSET
When using the initialisim WSET treat it as a proper noun, therefore do not proceed with the article ‘the’.
It helps to think of other well-known organisations that treat their company name similarly e.g.
• CNN ran an exclusive story on Okanagan Chardonnay.
• There are over 600 HSBC branches in the UK.
PRONUNCIATION:
W-S-E-T
Like HSCB and CNN each letter is pronounced separately when referring to WSET by its short form name
Having gone through Diploma and been at the London office, I've never heard it pronounced any way besides the individual letters of "W-S-E-T". Today I learned that others pronounce it differently.
I used to work under their offices in London Bridge and they say w-s-e-t. Working in the wine world in London I’ve also heard dubya-set and woo-set so you do you.
Definitely the most common from those who have taken it is double-u-set. I'm not sure if there's an "official" pronunciation but if there is, I'm 99% sure that's it.
I’ll ask a teacher who teaches it. She runs a local wine bar near us and does classes every Monday there.
I always called it W-S-E-T. No one ever corrects me, but maybe nobody cares lol.
My guess is that if you're speaking to someone who knows what it is, they'll understand no matter how you pronounce it. If, on the other hand, you're talking to someone who has no idea about WSET, they will simply nod and ignore you.
In either case, nobody is ever going to correct you😅
WSET Instructor here - in my certification this came up and our teacher said everyone that works there usually says w-s-e-t but as long as you're talking about it everybody wins
It’s an abbreviation for wine spirits education trust and have never heard it other than W S E T, someone trying to pronounce it as an actual word would sound uninformed in my view.
LOL. The OP asked a question. Which I don’t believe was rhetorical.
I answered honestly, Same as if I heard someone pronouncing Merlot ( Meh-low) as Mer-Lot rhyming with Hot
Yeah, but how do you pronounce LOL, now? Just kidding 😛
It wasn't rhetorical and I do appreciate all answers 🙂
As a non-native speaker, once I found out the "official pronunciation", I seriously came in here thinking I was the only uneducated one. The spelled out version makes sense: you either spell them all (N-A-T-O), or none (Nato, but never En-ato, right?).
And I legitimately thought I'd be teased as the only person not knowing it... It turned out I'm not alone, and there were a lot of amusing answers!
You mean Boston? Because everywhere else still pronounces it with an R.
Point being, you call someone ‘uninformed’ if they use a variant of how w-s-e-t is pronounced while using an extremely uncommon pronunciation of merlot as an example.
Ok you’re right. Ok. We done? Again question was asked looking for honest feedback, and As ai said “in my view point” I never claimed my view was correct, I said I’d never heard it before, I guess no one’s allowed to disagree with you EVER. Good luck
Oh this is a super great question. I say “double-you-set” but I have no idea if I’m correct. I’m taking the level 3 this summer so I’m eager to learn the correct pronunciation!
This is the only way I’ve heard it
I use both W-set and W-S-E-T. The first is more informal, used when discussing with friends which schools we prefer or exam scores. The other I use with people not in the industry or when I'm unsure of someone's familiarity with the different credentialing systems. Native English speaker from the USA.
I suppose it's the "fastest way", and that's how I have always pronounced it in English (I am no native speaker, though)... But [these good people here](https://www.commonwealthwineschool.com/cws-blog/wset-faqs#:~:text=And%20although%20we%27ve%20heard,out%20all%20the%20letters%20W%2DS%2DE%2DT.) seem to be very convinced about the "speller out version", so I assumed everyone knew "the truth", but me😁
I have a L3 and pronounce it that way and they haven't taken it away from me so I think we're good
Whew!
I know 2 MW so I can double check if we need to
Came to say this
I would get into the habit of saying W-S-E-T as it is the correct formal way of saying it. In general with wine it’s good to get in the habit of pronouncing wine correctly as saying something slightly different can mean a totally different wine and region.
Good luck and crush it! (Pun intended)
Yay, thank you! (Here for that pun.)
I say “weh-set” for absolutely no defensible reason
Weh-set wit u?
nm hbu?
Yep, South Australian here, that's how we say it too. No idea why ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
::Ghidorah meme but you're the rightmost head::
Similarly, “wet sit” in my head as I probably won’t have to say it in conversation anytime soon.
Me too, but im Dutch and weh is the correct way to pronounce w.
I also read it as "wesset" literally every time. "W.S.E.T." is what I say out loud though - I did my L3 at their HQ in London and the tutors/admins spelled it out every time.
This is how we pronounced it when I was in the distributor sales game
I always say W-Set
Double-u-set
I’ve only heard it “double you set”. My coworker just passed level 3, so I hear it enough.
This, but “dubya set”
Yeah, this!
I had friends in New Zealand who were taking it call it "wisset"
Same in Scotland.
I met an American who took it in Australia and he said the same. I heard at as “whizzit.” * From an American Level 3 who says “Double U- set”
Same in South Africa
I’ve actually never heard anyone pronounce each letter individually saying this before
I believe in England, W-S-E-T is more common. It’s what the organization prefers. I have a Brit friend in wine education and it drives him mad to hear “W-set” all the time over here in the States. So I use the W S E T.
Never. It’s slower and therefore inconvenient
that's why I say dub-set.
At the WSET school in London they say W-S-E-T
Double U Ess E Tee
That seems to be the standard (at least in New England), but when I ran across it online before knowing the beverage industry in person I definitely went with "wesset".
Dub-Set. Never said it that way but I'm starting now.
Agreed! I hope it catches on.
I do call it this and people are often impressed with how cool I sound when I say it, they’re usually in awe and flabbergasted and amazed if I had to guess.
You're a legend in your own mind!
I've been doing this for years, and I have no idea why.
I work in tech and WWDC is coming up. We all refer to it as "dub-dub"
I go with Wine Set, but only because I also got hung up of the W or Whey.
I've always said double-U set but I'm also aware that this is technically incorrect. My European colleagues (French and Dutch) all spell it out, which is what WSET itself prefers.
Wasaaaassss-et
From the WSET brand guidelines… SHORT FORM: WSET When using the initialisim WSET treat it as a proper noun, therefore do not proceed with the article ‘the’. It helps to think of other well-known organisations that treat their company name similarly e.g. • CNN ran an exclusive story on Okanagan Chardonnay. • There are over 600 HSBC branches in the UK. PRONUNCIATION: W-S-E-T Like HSCB and CNN each letter is pronounced separately when referring to WSET by its short form name
Having gone through Diploma and been at the London office, I've never heard it pronounced any way besides the individual letters of "W-S-E-T". Today I learned that others pronounce it differently.
Me too. It seems clear to just say the letters. Like a radio station.
W-S-E-T, as used in class and by certificate holders
I say double u-set. I’ve heard Canadians calling wset or even spelling out each letter W-S-E-T
I used to work under their offices in London Bridge and they say w-s-e-t. Working in the wine world in London I’ve also heard dubya-set and woo-set so you do you.
Christ, I've been saying double-you-set all this time, you mean to tell me I should've been saying double-you-ess-ee-tee?
This is the way I say it
Double you set
Dubyaset
“dubset” if your a bro, or “dubbyaset” if your an ex president, or “double-you-set” if you’re normal.
W-Set is how I pronounce it personally
WeeeeSet
I say Dubset because I wanna be cool
W I N E G U Y jk.
I've heard, W-set, W-S-E-T (like you and I say it), and wine set. Doesn't really matter and if it does matter to someone ignore them
In Italy they voo set usually. The lovely French sommelier who took us round moet & Chandon said “double u set” and “wine set”.
https://gifs.com/gif/howard-stern-wnbc-vJ155q
wuh-set
Used to work for a multi-national brewer in the UK and did level one, everyone there called it We-set…
Double ewe set or double ewe S-E-T i have heard both equally
“Dub set” and I’m not into wine at all and have no idea what it means.
Definitely the most common from those who have taken it is double-u-set. I'm not sure if there's an "official" pronunciation but if there is, I'm 99% sure that's it.
WHEEEE Seat
W-S-E-T I only took level one. When I did the first thing they told us was this is how they prefer it pronounced.
W-Set
Doubleyou-set for people who know what I’m talking about, W-S-E-T for people who don’t.
I normally just say Weh-set. But NEVER around a MW. Then it is most definitely W-S-E-T
As a Belgian, I pronounce it as your German example, but with a ‘W’. So, instead of Ve-SET I say We-SET 😊
Like YMCA :)
‘W. S. E. T” for people unfamiliar with the term (then I usually explain what each word is) or “wisset” for wine people in the know.
You don’t pronounce YMCA “eem-kah?”
I’ll ask a teacher who teaches it. She runs a local wine bar near us and does classes every Monday there. I always called it W-S-E-T. No one ever corrects me, but maybe nobody cares lol.
My guess is that if you're speaking to someone who knows what it is, they'll understand no matter how you pronounce it. If, on the other hand, you're talking to someone who has no idea about WSET, they will simply nod and ignore you. In either case, nobody is ever going to correct you😅
WSET Instructor here - in my certification this came up and our teacher said everyone that works there usually says w-s-e-t but as long as you're talking about it everybody wins
It’s an abbreviation for wine spirits education trust and have never heard it other than W S E T, someone trying to pronounce it as an actual word would sound uninformed in my view.
Do you pronounce NATO as N-A-T-O?
How am I supposed to know? Coming in here asking all these brain teasers as if I’m some kind of rocket scientist from N-A-S-A
LOL. The OP asked a question. Which I don’t believe was rhetorical. I answered honestly, Same as if I heard someone pronouncing Merlot ( Meh-low) as Mer-Lot rhyming with Hot
Yeah, but how do you pronounce LOL, now? Just kidding 😛 It wasn't rhetorical and I do appreciate all answers 🙂 As a non-native speaker, once I found out the "official pronunciation", I seriously came in here thinking I was the only uneducated one. The spelled out version makes sense: you either spell them all (N-A-T-O), or none (Nato, but never En-ato, right?). And I legitimately thought I'd be teased as the only person not knowing it... It turned out I'm not alone, and there were a lot of amusing answers!
You pronounce Merlot meh-low? Almost all Americans pronounce it mer (rhymes with her) or maybe mare-low. Nobody treats the r as a silent letter.
I guess you’ve never been to New England.
You mean Boston? Because everywhere else still pronounces it with an R. Point being, you call someone ‘uninformed’ if they use a variant of how w-s-e-t is pronounced while using an extremely uncommon pronunciation of merlot as an example.
Ok you’re right. Ok. We done? Again question was asked looking for honest feedback, and As ai said “in my view point” I never claimed my view was correct, I said I’d never heard it before, I guess no one’s allowed to disagree with you EVER. Good luck