Why do we say Colonel instead of Colonel?

Why is the word “colonel” pronounced with an “r” sound when it is not spelled with an “r”? “Colonel” came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel.

Why do we pronounce colonel that way?

This was because the rank was bestowed upon the commander of a column of troops. This word was then adopted by the French, who translated the term in their own language, converted the word 'colonnello' to the word 'coronel'. This is the reason why 'colonel' is pronounced 'kernel'.

Is L silent in colonel?

There is no silent letter in the word colonel. Here the word sounds like r. This is a clear case of dissimilation of spelling. The origin of this strange pronunciation starts in the middle Ages in Italy, where a military officer used to be addressed officially as “colonello.”

Why is it spelled Wednesday?

As it turns out, Wednesday actually has Germanic linguistic origins. It is derived from the Old English word, Wōdnesdæg, which honors the Germanic god Wodan.

Why is Lieutenant pronounced leftenant?

According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. Therefore, the term leftenant developed.

Why “Colonel” is Pronounced “Kernel”

Why do British pronounce clerk as Clark?

It was spelled both clark and clerk. Because the word clerk was pronounced with (är) rather than (ĕr) in the south of England, the vowels in the word did not become (ûr).

Why is H silent in herb?

“The word herb, which can be pronounced with or without the (h), is one of a number of words borrowed into English from French. The 'h' sound had been lost in Latin and was not pronounced in French or the other Romance languages, which are descended from Latin, although it was retained in the spelling of some words.

Is broccoli correct spelling?

Spelling of Broccoli: Broccoli is spelled b-r-o-c-c-o-l-i. There are two “c's” and only one “l” and one “i”. Definition of Broccoli: Broccoli, (Brassica oleracea), is a plant in the mustard family that has thick clusters of green—or sometimes purplish—flower buds that look like tiny trees.

What is the most difficult word to pronounce?

Why do Brits say Darby instead of Derby?

Derby means a horse race, a contest open to all comers or a sporting event between two local teams. In British English, derby is pronounced dar-bee. In American English, derby is pronounced dur-bee. Unfortunately, more often than not, I hear Americans — including a number of folks at The18 — pronounce derby as dar-bee.

Why do English people pronounce Derby as Darby?

The pronunciation came about because of the famous British inland pirate. When asked what he's looking for inland, he said "Dar be treasure". It's not that neatly divided. Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee.

How do Brits pronounce Ralph?

(In Northern England – or at least in Northumberland – "Ralph" apparently used to be pronounced /ra:f/, very roughly so that it rhymed with the contemporary American pronunciation of "half" and "calf".)

What is the shortest word ever?

The shortest word is a. Some might wonder about the word I since it consists of one letter, too. In sound, a is shorter because it is a monophthong (consists of one vowel), while I is a diphthong. Both do consist of one letter in the English writing system, and in most fonts I is the narrowest letter.

What word takes 3 hours to say?

You will be surprised to know that the longest word in English has 1, 89,819 letters and it will take you three and a half hours to pronounce it correctly. This is a chemical name of titin, the largest known protein.

Do you pronounce the r in February?

While "Feb-RU-ary" is still considered the standard pronunciation, most dictionaries recognize the pronunciation of February without the first "r" ("Feb-U-ary") as an acceptable variant.

How is salmon pronounced?

The pronunciation of salmon is often object of confusion. In English, the correct pronunciation of salmon is sam-un. The "l" in salmon is silent. However, in certain dialects and varieties of English salmon is occasionally pronounced with an "l".

How do you pronounce GIF?

“It's pronounced JIF, not GIF.” Just like the peanut butter. “The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations,” Wilhite told The New York Times. “They are wrong. It is a soft 'G,' pronounced 'jif.