# Non-phonetic pronunciation of military ranks
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 10, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264 "2004-04-10T02:01:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/1 "2004-04-10T02:01:27Z")
Why are military ranks so often pronouced differently from the way they are written? Is there something specific about the history of these terms that makes it so?
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/2 "2004-04-10T02:05:33Z")
Nothing special, but the words tend to be very old and passed along from French.
Just another example of our wonderful language.
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/3 "2004-04-10T02:08:51Z")
Your question is just a **general** statement the probably is of **private** interest to you. 😛
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/4 "2004-04-10T02:15:08Z")
It isn’t a **major** offense and doesn’t require **corporal** punishment. :eek:
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### Author:  [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/5 "2004-04-10T02:22:45Z")
**Colonel** is the only one I can think of with a major difference between spelling and pronunciation.
What others is the OP thinking of?
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### Author:  [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/6 "2004-04-10T02:24:00Z")
Colonel and Lieutenant were the ones I had in mind.
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### Author:  [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/7 "2004-04-10T02:25:50Z")
> [@postcards](#):
>
> **Colonel** is the only one I can think of with a major difference between spelling and pronunciation.
>
> What others is the OP thinking of?
Lieutenant. Pronounced leftenant.
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/8 "2004-04-10T02:34:51Z")
Although I believe the Americans pronounce it _lootenant_.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-phonetic-pronunciation-of-military-ranks/239264/9 "2004-04-10T02:39:05Z")
> [@St\_Ides](#):
>
> Lieutenant. Pronounced leftenant.
Though in America we pronounce that one correctly. ( 🙂 )
I believe **Cecil** has covered Colonel at some point. Ah yes, [here it is](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_250.html).