Have you ever wondered how to pronounce colonel? In this blog post, we’ll show you how to say this word correctly.
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Introduction
The word “colonel” is pronounced /ˈkɜːrnl/, kerr-nl. The word derives from the Late Latin word colonellus, meaning “of a column”, or, more generally, “commander of a column”. The English spelling follows French.
The Pronunciation of Colonel
Colonel is pronounced like the word kernel with a French R sound at the end. The word colonel is derived from the French word colone, which comes from the Italian word colonna, which means column. Colonel was originally a rank in the British Army and was used to refer to the commander of a column of troops.
The Pronunciation of Colonel in American English
The word “colonel” is pronounced /ˈkɜrnəl/ (ker-nuhl), or sometimes /ˈkɜrlən/. In British English, it is pronounced /ˈkɜːnəl/, or sometimes /ˈkʌrnl/.
The word “colonel” comes from the French word “coronel”, which in turn comes from the Italian word “colonnello”. The Italian word “colonnello” comes from the Latin word “colo”.
The word “colo” means “neck”, and the word “coronel” originally meant “leader of a column (of men)”. The word eventually came to be used as a rank in the military, and was first used in English in the 16th century.
The Pronunciation of Colonel in British English
The word colonel is pronounced /ˈkɜːrnəl/ (ker-nəl), or sometimes /ˈkɜːrnl/ (ker-nl) in North American English. The word colonel is derived from the Late Latin word colonnellus, which is a diminutive of colōnus (“farmer”, “settler”).
The pronunciation /ˈkɜːrnəl/ is standard in British English, but /ˈkɜːrnl/ is also heard. In North American English, the pronunciation /ˈkɜːrnl/ is more common.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to pronounce Colonel, you can use it in conversation with confidence. Remember, the key is to say the word with a clear, consistent pronunciation. If you can do that, you’ll be understood every time.
