How to Pronounce colonel

Language: English   IPA: /ˈkɜːrnəl/

Pronunciation explanation

Pronounced "KER-nuhl" — one of English's most notorious spelling/pronunciation mismatches. The word entered English via French (coronel) but was later respelled to match the Italian original (colonnello). The spelling never caught up with the pronunciation.

Practice tip

Sounds exactly like "kernel". KER-nuhl. Ignore the spelling completely.

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