This is not a disparagement for either the US or the UK and is just a honest point of curiosity.
Lieutenant is spelled the same in both US English and UK English. Yet in the US it is pronounced "lew-ten-ant" and in the UK it is "left-ten-ant".
Does anyone know the reasons why?
holly
Favorite Answer
The French word 'lieu' comes from the old French 'luef' which gives rise to the pronunciation "LEF-tenant"
cloer
it relies upon. In Spanish, "ana" is reported "ON-ah." If i recognize a family individuals knows Spanish phonetics, or the call looks Spanish, i'd say ON-ah after I see Ana or -ana. inspite of the undeniable fact that, that is used eye-catching typically in English names interchangeably with Anna, and that i recognize that. So if I see an English % out in an English family individuals, I are likely to assume that -ana is the equivalent as -anna. For representation, Anabel, Liliana, etc. final analysis: i have a wager in my mind earlier i attempt to pronounce the call, and if i'm maximum proper ideal, large. If i'm incorrect, then I suited it and move on. yet I keep in mind that human beings can pronounce them in a special way. i'd extremely pronounce Kianna as key-ANNA, even as Kiana might want to probable be key-ON-ah, or that is key-ANNA to boot. i'd favor to ask the fellow to be particular of the most proper ideal pronunciation.
Anonymous
The Oxford English Dictionary says it's "difficult to explain", by which they mean "nobody knows for sure". There is evidence that it was said "lev-" in 1793, possibly by a misreading of the "u", which at that time had not yet settled down into its present roles, it still being considered a form of "v", orthographically speaking. There is some flip-flopping of "v" and "f" in English; consider the posh British NEV-you for "nephew".
INFOPROF
Alex,
I believe that you may have answered your own question when you mentioned
"both US English and UK English".
I believe that someone once described England and America as two countries separated by a common language. :)
Nikki P
I agree with InfoProf. It's because everything is.