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).
Is it pronounced Clark or clerk?
Is the proper pronunciation of the word clerk, Clark? In British English, yes it is the correct pronunciation. In American English, “clerk” rhymes with “Burk” – and that is the correct pronunciation in the USA. Ignore those that say that either the American or British pronunciation is “wrong”.
Why do Brits say Darby instead of Derby?
Because, in Old English, it was spelt Darby. When we migrated to modern English, we spelt it Derby. If you look on old maps, it will be spelt as, Darby. For the same reason Muricans pronounce Arkansas as Arkinsaw.
How do Australians pronounce clerk?
Break ‘clerk’ down into sounds: [KLAAK] – say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.
Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as 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 do the English pronounce Ralph as Rafe?
As the Oxford authors explain, “In late Middle English the diphthong -au- was sometimes simplified to long -a-, later pronounced ‘ay’ as in modern English day, which accounts for Rafe. This pronunciation of the personal name Ralph is still occasionally found in modern times.”
Why is the R silent in 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 English pronounce lieutenant?
It’s believed that at some time before the 19th century, the British read and pronounced the “U” at the end of “lieu” as a “V” and the “V” later became an “F”. This may explain why we in Singapore and most other Commonwealth countries pronounce “Lieutenant” as “lef-tenant”, while Americans pronounce it as it is spelt.
How did the British pronounce lieutenant?
lef-TEN-ant
Lieutenant has two different pronunciations. In American English, the word is pronounced “loo-TEN-ant” /luˈtɛnənt/, whereas in British English, it is pronounced “lef-TEN-ant” /lɛfˈtɛnənt/.
Why do Aussies say Vale?
They do not mention the death of a person. My big dictionary says vale relates to the declining years of a person’s age, but then it says vale relates to goodbye, farewell, adieu. To valedict is to bid farewell.
Do the British pronounce their t’s?
We do pronounce T when it starts a word. When it’s in the middle of a word or at the end, it is sometimes changed into another sound. For example here in the north east of England it often becomes a glottal stop, so “total” is pronounced “to’al”. Some dialects change it into an R, so “get away” becomes “gerraway”.
Why is it pronounced kernel and not colonel?
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’.
Why do Americans say mom instead of Mum?
Mom and Mommy are old-English words, words that are stilled used in Birmingham and most parts of the West Midlands. It is said that when people from the West Midlands went to America many years ago they took the spelling with them, hence Americans use Mom and Mommy.
How do British people say titanium?
Below is the UK transcription for ‘titanium’: Modern IPA: tɑ́jtɛ́jnɪjəm. Traditional IPA: ˌtaɪˈteɪniːəm. 4 syllables: “TY” + “TAY” + “nee” + “uhm”
Why do Brits say Sinjin?
Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name “St. John.” As a given-name, “St. John” is sometimes pronounced as [SIN-jin] or [SIN-jun] in the UK.
Why is Beauchamp pronounced Beecham?
Beauchamp is a French name therefore it must be pronounced as the French would (Bo-shom). Cholmondley is English so that’s a different story. Many of the English Beauchamps are pronounced Beechams.
How do British say IKEA?
Below is the UK transcription for ‘ikea’: Modern IPA: ɑjkɪ́jə Traditional IPA: aɪˈkiːə 3 syllables: “eye” + “KEE” + “uh”
How do the British say mac and cheese?
American English: Food Terminology – Lost in the Pond | British accent.
British Vs. American English: Food Terminology.
| British English (BrE) | American English (AmE) |
|---|---|
| Macaroni cheese | Mac and cheese |
| Minced meat | Ground meat |
| Porridge | Oatmeal |
| Prawn | Shrimp |
Why B is silent in plumber?
Letter ‘b’ is silent in ‘plumber’. Letter ‘b’ is generally not pronounced if letters ‘m’ and ‘b’ occur together in a word. Examples : plumb, comb, tomb, plumber etc. This rule is applicable when letters ‘m’ and ‘b’ are the parts of the same syllable.
How do I pronounce Nguyen?
Correct Pronunciation of Nguyen
N’win/Ng’win: One syllable. Ng’win is closest to the correct Vietnamese pronunciation. Noo-yen/Ngoo-yen: Two syllables. Nuh-goo-yen: Three syllables.
Why is the T in Castle silent?
Similarly, the “t” disappears when we pronounce words like “castle,” “christen,” “epistle,” “glisten,” “nestle,” “pestle,” and others. It’s a good bet that if a word ends in “-sten,” “-ften,” or “-stle,” the “t” will be silent.