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Why do words start with silent Ws?

wren.jpgQuestion

There are lots of words in the English language which start with an R sound, but have a silent W at the beginning? Why? Where does it come from?
John, Epsom

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: John, Shooter’s Hill
Qualification: Line cut dead before we could find out!
Answer: When the Anglo-Saxons came over, their alphabet was in Old English, which had two letters together to make a sound. We don’t use that any more, but the letters are still there in words such as a wren (pictured).

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