Discuss the Article : Beware! Weird English Words
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Weird English words with bizarre spellings are all around us: why is 'colonel' pronounced 'kernel'? Here is a list of words to help you improve your writing.
As for me, the strangest word in English for that matter is queue. WHY IS IT PRONOUNCED LIKE "Q"?) If it's just "Q", why do we write another 4 vowels? It's ridiculous I think)
I've found that -ough exists as 7 distinct sound! Try reading though, through, cough, rough, plough, ought, borough. Crazy stuff even for a native speaker...
Also, I have a feeling that the Anglosphere comprises the only set of nations to have spelling competitions/spelling bees. I've not come across another language with such a random relationship between how a word is pronounced and is spelling!
The piece of advice I normally give to learners on this issue: when learning a new word, take it as a whole. Listen to how the particular word is pronounced and don't bother breaking it down phonetically. Sure there are clues in the word but I think that there is little point in learning the "rules" of phonetics given the plethora of exceptions. It's a bit like memorising Chinese characters.
But does anyone know why "colonel" is [ker-nal]. I'm a French speaker, and this word also exist in French, but we pronounce it [ko lo nel] as it should! As it's a high rank position, I can't imagine people starting to deform it over time. It would be a sign a disrespect, surely?
I have heard many British people, (and would do myself) pronounce clerk as "clark" e.g. a bank clerk. I always thought the other way was the American pronounciation.