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If English wasn't your first language, maybe if you learned English later in life, were there any words that you had a really hard time learning how to pronounce? Do you think that had to do with the sounds made in your first language?

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[-] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 47 points 1 month ago

Colonel.

Less of how hard it is to actually pronounce, more like how hard it is to believe it's pronounced that way.

[-] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 month ago

Just wait till you try “Lieutenant” in Britain or Canada.

[-] stray@pawb.social 6 points 1 month ago

You can find "leftenant" as a normal spelling in older texts. No one is sure why.

[-] Akasazh@feddit.nl 3 points 1 month ago
[-] Ftumch@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 month ago
[-] RockySalad@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 month ago

omg "rcester" words are so hard

[-] djmikeale@feddit.dk 6 points 1 month ago
[-] stray@pawb.social 2 points 1 month ago

It was spelled with an R in the past, and they tried to change it to an L (because that's how it "properly" should be according to its origins), but only the spelling stuck, probably due to everyone being illiterate anyway.

this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2025
87 points (98.9% liked)

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