▲ 151 ▼ What is the (subjectively) weirdest word in the English language? (lemmy.blahaj.zone) submitted 2 years ago by Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world 224 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] son_named_bort@lemmy.world 37 points 2 years ago (5 children) Colonel. Why is it pronounced like kernal? permalink fedilink source hideshow 10 child comments replies: [–] Agent641@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago Counterpoint - Bureaucracy. permalink fedilink source parent [–] kureta@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 years ago Let me introduce you to the British pronunciation of the word "lieutenant". lieutenant (UK: /lɛfˈtɛnənt/ lef-TEN-ənt) permalink fedilink source parent [–] Plasma@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago It used to be spelt "coronnel" in Old French and we took that pronunciation, but then we also took the updated french word "colonel" but kept the old pronunciation. permalink fedilink source parent [–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago I remember I was in 6th grade and the teacher made the class read a couple paragraphs of a book. She called on kids at random to read from their seat out loud for the whole class to hear, paragraph after paragraph. When it was my turn, the word "colonel" appeared, and it hadn't been said yet in the book. Now, I had heard of a ker-nal before, but I never assumed it would be spelled that way, so when I saw this word I just thought it was something else. I got to the word and read it out loud as cahl-uh-null and needless to say there was many a snickering to be heard. Luckily I'm not easily embarrassed so it was fine, but I thought it was odd (and still do) that people generally act like this word being said this way is a given. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Eiri@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 child) Is this universal or are there places where they pronounce it closer to its spelling? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 child) They pronounce it phonetically in France, which is where it came from. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Eiri@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago I meant English dialects. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago Counterpoint - Bureaucracy. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] kureta@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 years ago Let me introduce you to the British pronunciation of the word "lieutenant". lieutenant (UK: /lɛfˈtɛnənt/ lef-TEN-ənt) permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Plasma@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago It used to be spelt "coronnel" in Old French and we took that pronunciation, but then we also took the updated french word "colonel" but kept the old pronunciation. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago I remember I was in 6th grade and the teacher made the class read a couple paragraphs of a book. She called on kids at random to read from their seat out loud for the whole class to hear, paragraph after paragraph. When it was my turn, the word "colonel" appeared, and it hadn't been said yet in the book. Now, I had heard of a ker-nal before, but I never assumed it would be spelled that way, so when I saw this word I just thought it was something else. I got to the word and read it out loud as cahl-uh-null and needless to say there was many a snickering to be heard. Luckily I'm not easily embarrassed so it was fine, but I thought it was odd (and still do) that people generally act like this word being said this way is a given. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Eiri@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 child) Is this universal or are there places where they pronounce it closer to its spelling? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 child) They pronounce it phonetically in France, which is where it came from. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Eiri@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago I meant English dialects. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 child) They pronounce it phonetically in France, which is where it came from. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Eiri@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago I meant English dialects. permalink fedilink source parent