An interesting hallmark of a well-read person is that they may mispronounce certain words. It’s not that they don’t know the meaning of the word — in fact, it’s quite the opposite. There are some words that don’t come up regularly in spoken conversation, but are employed more frequently in books and journalism, and a person of letters will be familiar with this vocabulary. Within this subset of words are those that have a pronunciation that is at odds with the way the word is spelled. Consider the word “receipt” — it’s a common enough word, but it serves as an example for us. How is a reader supposed to know the “p” is silent?
This pronunciation mismatch is rife across the English language because of its widespread etymological history. Sometimes a single word might have undergone an evolution that pulls from both Latin and Germanic influences. When a reader looks at an unfamiliar word, it can be tricky to know where to place the emphasis, which letters to pronounce, and which might be silent.Here are six examples of this phonetic disconnect.
Correct Pronunciation: uh-PI-duh-mee
Alternate Pronunciation: EH-pi-tohm
“Epitome” — a word meaning “the perfect example of” — is arguably the epitome of the topic at hand. Part of the confusion stems from the word “tome,” which is pronounced “tohm” and means “a large, scholarly book.” However, that word has nothing to do with the etymological roots of the word “epitome.” Instead, “epitome” comes from the Greek ἐπιτομή, which means “incision” and is pronounced in a similar fashion to the modern English word. However, the similar spelling of “epitome” and “tome” causes an understandable pronunciation mix-up.
Correct Pronunciation: kyoo
Alternate Pronunciation: KWEH-weh
So many vowels in a row are tricky to parse out, but we think it would make sense for the “que” in “queue” to be pronounced with a “kweh” sound — much like in the word “question.” But in truth, the last four letters of this odd term are essentially silent, as “queue” is pronounced more like the letter “q.” This is because “queue” is likely derived from the Old French cue or coe, meaning “tail.” Today, the word is primarily used among British English speakers as a term for a line of people.
Correct Pronunciation: KER-nul
Alternate Pronunciation: KER-nul (but it should be spelled differently)
The pronunciation of “colonel” comes from French, but the modern spelling comes from Italian, which is where the mismatch comes from. It’s derived from the French coronel, referencing the commander of a regiment, but in the 1580s, the spelling was modified to be more in line with the Italian colonnella, meaning the same. But even though the spelling changed, many English speakers continued to use the earlier version of the pronunciation that included an “r” sound, which persists in many places today. Instead of changing the pronunciation, we vote to switch to an entirely English spelling, as it’s already been through multiple influences. Let’s go phonetic and make it “kernel.”
Correct Pronunciation: VYE-kownt
Alternate Pronunciation: VISS-kownt
A viscount is a position in British peerage, ranking above a baron and below an earl. While it’s spelled with an “s,” that letter is silent, and the word is pronounced “VYE-kownt.” This is because it originally meant “vice count,” as in someone who provides assistance to a higher-ranking count. The word “vice” was shortened, thus producing the “vye” sound at the start of “viscount.” This one doesn’t matter too much for American English speakers, but as there are no counts in the British peerage system, we propose to swap this pronunciation.
Correct Pronunciation: KAHK-sun
Alternate Pronunciation: KAHK-sweyn
Coxswain is an important position in the sport of rowing, as it’s their job to help steer the racing boat. The “cox” portion of the word comes from the Middle English cok, meaning “small boat,” while “swain” is an archaic word for “country youth.” Together, they join to form this unusual word, which drops the “way” sound that is expected from phonetics. Instead, that syllable is left unstressed, as “coxswain” is simply pronounced “KAHK-sun.” As with “epitome” and “tome,” the mismatch of spelling and pronunciation between the words causes confusion, and we’d like to bring them in line with a new pronunciation for coxswain.
Correct Pronunciation: SEG-way
Alternate Pronunciation: SEH-guh
“Segue” is spelled in the pattern of many other familiar words — “vogue,” “vague,” and “fatigue,” to name a few. But while those end with a guttural “guh” sound, “segue” is different. It’s pronounced “SEG-way,” as the Italian segue is pronounced. The Italian word means “now follows,” and “segue” in English implies a transition from one topic to another. While there is a strong connection to the Italian inspiration, we think it makes sense to keep the pronunciation consistent with other similarly spelled English words, even though they have different etymologies.
Do you agree with our phonetic suggestions? Or have we gone too far in disrupting the language? We’re not changing the dictionary — just offering some opinions on words we stumble over in our regular reading. Are there any words you think should change pronunciation based on their spelling? Let us know!
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