# Falcon, or 'fahl'-con? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 22, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446 "2011-10-22T14:20:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/1 "2011-10-22T14:20:27Z")
So you see a certain raptor sitting on a light standard. Is it a ‘falcon’ (‘al’ as in ‘Al Bundy’), or a ‘fahlcon’ (‘fahl’ as in ‘fall’)? ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/2 "2011-10-22T15:35:47Z")
The bird is “falcon” but I pronounce the TV show as “Fahl-con Crest”. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/3 "2011-10-22T15:44:25Z")
Al Bundy every time. Except for the _Maltese Falcon_. That one always deserves the broad “a”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/4 "2011-10-22T15:45:43Z")
I’ve just noticed my typo in the title. Can a passing mod fix it? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/5 "2011-10-22T15:57:35Z")
The second one. I was under the impression that the first was US and the second was British. I’m British, and the only time I ever hear the first is on US television shows. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/6 "2011-10-22T16:29:03Z")
It’s falcon, like Al. Everybody in Star Wars is wrong ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/7 "2011-10-22T18:10:10Z")
Fall-con. I’m Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/8 "2011-10-23T07:58:51Z")
UK, Fol-can so neither. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/9 "2011-10-23T14:55:58Z")
Rhymes with ‘Vulcan’? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/10 "2011-10-24T16:26:34Z")
Yippee Ki Yay, Mr. Falcon!!! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/11 "2011-10-24T19:45:53Z")
Huh. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone over the age of 7 pronounce it /ˈfælkən/ (e.g. Al Bundy). Or maybe only in Texan stereotypes in movies. Granted the word doesn’t come up much. Western US. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/12 "2011-10-24T20:27:45Z")
For me, both are acceptable when referring to the bird, possibly due to various proper nouns where the [a:] is more common. However, I much prefer [ae] in derived forms (falconer, falconry) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/13 "2011-10-24T20:32:23Z")
This thread is falcon awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/14 "2011-10-24T22:03:39Z")
Both. I say Atlanta Falcons (Al Bundy style), but in talking about the bird itself, it’s fahlcon. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lo-Slung_Denim)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/15 "2011-10-24T22:10:47Z")
British. I say Falcon as in Al Bundy. Because that’s how it’s spelt. But I still say Holl-born for the central London tube station, not Ho-bun, so I think I’m just phonetic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/16 "2011-10-24T22:22:25Z")
In my own voice, falcon. In my super-villain voice, faulcon. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/17 "2011-10-24T22:29:11Z")
Is the falcon in the Balkans? The opportunity to rhyme might change my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falcon-or-fahl-con/600446/18 "2011-10-24T22:31:59Z")
> [@Lo-Slung\_Denim](#): > > British. I say Falcon as in Al Bundy. Because that’s how it’s spelt. But I still say Holl-born for the central London tube station, not Ho-bun, so I think I’m just phonetic. 🙂 Holl-born? You don’t deserve to call yourself British. :mad: