# "Iron" - one syllable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487 "2000-12-07T16:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/1 "2000-12-07T16:10:46Z")
I wrote a trivia quiz on the elements on a trivia site. One of my questions was: ‘[Name] One of four one-syllable element names.’ The possible answers are gold, tin, zinc, and lead. But in a feedback message from someone who took it, he said I forgot ‘iron’. Now, the only way I can see that is if he had a real heavy Texan accent and says it ‘arn’. (Like a Texan girl I knew who said ‘oil’ like ‘all’.) I told him that it was pronounced ‘i earn’; two syllables. But I was wondering. Is there a way to say ‘iron’ with only one that doesn’t sound like you’re right off of the ‘all’ fields? ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/2 "2000-12-07T16:20:37Z")
Not only did you forget _arn_, you forgot _barm, thorm,_ and _curm_ as well. geez, what the hell kinda pseudointellectual quiz you running here, ' **boy**? ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/3 "2000-12-07T16:34:38Z")
In the Arn City (aka Pittsburgh), it’s traditionally pronounced with one syllable. Elsewhere, it’s two. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/4 "2000-12-07T16:37:17Z")
IMHO (I’m an editor, so I’ve dealt with the written word, but not so much with the oral word), it only has one syllable, no matter where you’re from. Sure, the person might have been from Texas or another awl-producin’ state, but I believe if you check your Webster’s (as I did, MW’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Ed.), you won’t find any derivative pronunciations. Of course, what’s accepted in formal writing and what’s practiced in real life often differ, which is why we never say that someone’s wrong, just that they’re using a colloquialism. 😃 Mayhap this person was yankin’ yer chain, trying to squeeze out some extra credit? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/5 "2000-12-07T16:40:20Z")
> [@](#): > > In the Arn City (aka Pittsburgh), it’s traditionally pronounced with one syllable. Elsewhere, it’s two. That’s the 'Burgh, actually, and an “arn” is what you drink there, having bought a six from the “jine iggle”. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/6 "2000-12-07T16:52:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > **That’s the 'Burgh, actually, and an “arn” is what you drink there, having bought a six from the “jine iggle”.** Or, maybe, you went aht and for an Imp and Arn somewhere on the Sahside. (At least back in my day, the Dahntahn places fancied themselves too sophisticated to serve Arn, let alone Imp and Arn.) ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/7 "2000-12-07T16:58:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by poohpah chalupa \* > \*\*Not only did you forget _arn_, you forgot _barm, thorm,_ and _curm_ as well. > > geez, what the hell kinda pseudointellectual quiz you running here, ' **boy**? \*\* Here’s my quiz on [The Periodic Table]([http://www.funtrivia.com/cgi-bin/qplay.cgi?id=period2000&from=The](http://www.funtrivia.com/cgi-bin/qplay.cgi?id=period2000&from=The) Straight Dope&url=http:%2F%[2Fwww.straightdope.com](http://2Fwww.straightdope.com)). The question in question is #10. The pronunciation I got from the dictionary is ‘(I’urn)’, two syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/8 "2000-12-07T17:31:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flodnak \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > > **That’s the 'Burgh, actually, and an “arn” is what you drink there, having bought a six from the “jine iggle”.** > > Or, maybe, you went aht and for an Imp and Arn somewhere on the Sahside. (At least back in my day, the Dahntahn places fancied themselves too sophisticated to serve Arn, let alone Imp and Arn.) \*\* I can sympathize with yins. Jman ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/9 "2000-12-07T18:04:36Z")
I think it could reasonably be pronounced with one syllable as “ayrn”. Granted, I am from Texas, although I’ve never been accused of having the accent. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/10 "2000-12-07T18:31:07Z")
[screeching halt] > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jman \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by flodnak \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > > > **That’s the 'Burgh, actually, and an “arn” is what you drink there, having bought a six from the “jine iggle”.** > > > > Or, maybe, you went aht and for an Imp and Arn somewhere on the Sahside. (At least back in my day, the Dahntahn places fancied themselves too sophisticated to serve Arn, let alone Imp and Arn.) \*\* > > I can sympathize with yins. > > Jman \*\* What in the pluperfect are you saying? Okay, Dahntahn = Downtown (I think), but “Imp”, “Arn” “jine iggle”??? Whaaaa? Could you please re-phoneticize and translate for those of us who are not fluent in 'Burghese? [/screeching halt] ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/11 "2000-12-07T18:41:48Z")
“arn”, which apparently a lot of us thought of when reading the subject, is the usual Pittsburgh pronunciation of “iron”. A brand of beer called “Iron City” is brewed there, usually reffered to as an “arn”. The “jine iggle” is the usual pronunciation of the “Giant Eagle” supermarket. As I think about what I wrote, you wouldn’t pick up your “arns” there. This being PA, you would have to go to the beverage distributor, buy a case of them, and swing by the “iggle” for the snacks. I offer as an excuse that I haven’t lived in PA for many years. “imp” is Imperial whiskey, so an “imp 'n arn” is a specific form of the prototypical Pittsburgh “shot anna beer”. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/12 "2000-12-07T18:44:09Z")
I’m not fluent, but I know a Pittsburgh native or two. An “Arn” is an Iron City beer, the local brew. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/13 "2000-12-07T19:06:37Z")
This is starting to drift a bit, but the second-person plural pronoun is properly spelled “you’uns”, not “yins” ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/14 "2000-12-07T19:57:48Z")
No, Chronos, it is pronounced yawl. One syllable. Sometimes spelled “y’all,” but always pronounced by a real Southerner as one syllable. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/15 "2000-12-07T20:49:10Z")
From the [Merriam-Webster dictionary at Britannica.com](http://www.britannica.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=iron): > [@](#): > > 'I(-&)rn Which I _think_ is saying that it’s two syllables. From the [American Heritage Dictionary](http://www.bartleby.com/61/32/I0233200.html): > [@](#): > > SYLLABICATION: i\*\*·\*\*ron Which clearly seems to say two syllables. Finally, from an [old Webster’s Unabridged that’s been put on the net](http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=iron): > [@](#): > > I"ron So, I’d say it’s two syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/16 "2000-12-07T21:01:02Z")
So if it’s two syllables is it pronounced “I-ron” or “I-urn”? And is that second example really even two syllables? Hey, did yinz guys hear Mario’s back with da Pens? ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/17 "2000-12-07T21:03:46Z")
Merriam-Webster be damned, I was under the impression that iron was monosyllabic, but in a pain-in-the-ass gestalt kind of way. To illustrate, take the prefix “psych”: one syllable, right? Not so fast. When you articulate the word, you will notice that you are actually saying “suh-eye-kuh” …after a fashion. But still it’s one syllable. So I suppose regionalisms do come into play: I met someone once from the Deep South who got a whole 3 syllables out of the word “oil”. Pronounced it “oy-yuh-uuhl,” complete with drawl (it’s difficult to write it phonetically). But then again, Iraq and Iran (properly pronounced ur-ron) are two syllables. I give up. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/18 "2000-12-08T00:07:28Z")
Yinz jaggoffs woutent no nuttin abaht no one sillabull words or no two sillabull words if Dawnie Iris himself came dahn and told yinz. What yinz shood do is go dahn SahSide and see if Joe Greshecky an da hahserawkers are playin dahn at Nicks Fat City. Ol’ Joe’d never steer yinz wrowng about no two siilabulls. ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/19 "2000-12-08T03:00:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AWB \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by poohpah chalupa \* > > …geez, what the hell kinda pseudointellectual quiz you running here, 'boy? > > Here’s my quiz on The Periodic Table. The question in question is #10. Oops. Forgot my smilie. 🙂 …errr, that was supposed to be _funny_, **AWB**. Sorry. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487/20 "2000-12-08T03:14:30Z")
My Primary School teachers kept trying to tell me “whale”, “snail” etc are one syllable. I keep trying to see how they do it, but “way-ell”, “snay-ell” are the only ways I can pronounce them. Lousy teachers. Trying to corrupt my good English. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-one-syllable/44487.md?page=2)