I Now Pronounce You…

Colonel. Aisle. Wednesday. The relationship between spelling and pronunciation in the English language can be quite the conundrum. This is due in part because English is comprised of many different languages including Latin, Greek, French, German—even Celtic and Gaelic. Individually, each letter of the alphabet has a distinct sound, which are the building blocks for learning a language. While letters by themselves have a singular pronunciation, things get interesting once they are grouped to form words. Obviously, this creates opportunities for multiple sound combinations. The interaction between consonants and vowels and how they are pronounced together can be simple and logical, following set standards. Yet there are other times where the spelling and pronunciation contradict convention and defy all logic.

We don’t necessarily question or recognize spelling/sound anomalies because it’s what we’ve learned; we’ve become accustomed to them. But can you recall when you were first learning to read and would recite the words out loud? There were basic principles to follow as a guide but once in a while an exception to the rule would catch you off guard. I may not be a seasoned writer but I hope you appreciate my attempt at touching on this subject. If we stop for a moment and think, it can be quite entertaining (at least it is for me–a self-confessed word nerd). Maybe my blog will inspire you to take a closer look at a specific word while reading or after hearing it spoken. 

When I encounter a word that bends the rules, I like to play a game where I make a list of two or three other words that have similar properties but don’t follow the same pattern. For example, take the first part of the word properties. Proper contains a single p but rhymes with topper, popper and whopper, which all have a double p. Why is it not spelled propper then? Sought, thought, fought, and drought are all spelled the same yet drought has a completely different sound. This begs the question why drought isn’t spelled drout since it rhymes with shout, tout, and clout. Another phenomenon I find interesting is when a consonant becomes silent while paired with another (e.g. knife, column, talk, reign). I could go on but you get the idea. Some words simply bend the rules, others completely shatter them.

With so many potential combinations to keep track of in the English language, thank goodness for phonetic spelling, which helps us navigate through these murky waters. Phonetics (fōˈnediks) is a branch of linguistics that focuses on the production and classification of speech sounds. Furthermore, phonetic spelling is a system of spelling in which each letter represents one spoken sound. In English, some words are pronounced exactly as they look. Others are not and are the inspiration for this post. To illustrate the proper pronunciation, the Merriam-Webster dictionary provides the phonetic spelling of a word along with its definition.

The following are just a few examples of words that are spelled nothing like their pronunciation–or are they pronounced nothing like their spelling?

What words can you think of? Are there any that you’ve overlooked because they’re used in everyday life? Comparing words can be a fun activity, which gives you a glimpse of just how complicated the English language is, especially if you consider others who are learning it as a second language. Plus, if you ever find yourself on The Wheel of Fortune, you’ll need to know the proper pronunciation to correctly solve the puzzle. Until next time, be well.