# How syllables does the word "sire" have?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 27, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816 "2014-06-27T21:17:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816/61 "2014-07-01T13:52:43Z")
> [@pojimba](#):
>
> How in the world does milk have two syllables?
Mee-yulk (I’ve heard Garrison Keillor’s version – along with other supposed one-syllable words – and it _sounds_ as if he’s going for two.) “Bow-wull” is another frequent one.
Does anybody else ever hear “milk” pronounced “mee-yunk”?
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### Author:  [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816/62 "2014-07-01T18:21:05Z")
Higher and hire do not rhyme. The first has two syllables, the second, one.
Years ago I got into an epic argument with my roommate who wrongly insisted that “Charles” was a two-syllable word.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816/63 "2014-07-01T21:17:36Z")
> [@Skammer](#):
>
> Higher and hire do not rhyme. The first has two syllables, the second, one.
>
> Years ago I got into an epic argument with my roommate who wrongly insisted that “Charles” was a two-syllable word.
Again, what is the sound of that one-syllable version of hire?
Yeah, I’d say Char-ulls is two syllables too.
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### Author:  [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816/64 "2014-07-01T22:00:25Z")
> [@gigi](#):
>
> Again, what is the sound of that one-syllable version of hire?
It sounds like the word “Hi” with an “r” at the end. Whereas “higher” sounds like the word “Hi” followed by the word “yer”.
Try saying “hire a car” as “hi rekkar”. Now say it again but leave out the “-ekkar” bit.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816/65 "2014-07-01T23:32:43Z")
Thanks, I can almost see what you mean. That helps.
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### Author:  [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-syllables-does-the-word-sire-have/691816/66 "2014-07-05T02:09:50Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> Mee-yulk (I’ve heard Garrison Keillor’s version – along with other supposed one-syllable words – and it _sounds_ as if he’s going for two.) “Bow-wull” is another frequent one.
>
> Does anybody else ever hear “milk” pronounced “mee-yunk”?
Is it that milk has two syllables or that some people pronounce it incorrectly?
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