# Silent 'l' in 'folk' and 'yolk'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198 "2006-06-02T20:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/41 "2015-02-05T23:49:32Z")
I’ve never heard the L pronounced in those words. But it wasn’t until a thread on the subject that I discovered the L in “almond” is silent. I could have sworn before that I heard it. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/42 "2015-02-06T00:49:15Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > But it wasn’t until a thread on the subject that I discovered the L in “almond” is silent. [No, it isn’t](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/british/almond). (At least, in the U.S.) Actually, there are regional dialects. I was listening to the radio one day, driving from L.A. to Bellingham, and it took me a while to figure out what these ‘ammins’ were that the ‘Ammin’ Board of California guy was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/43 "2015-02-06T01:39:55Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [No, it isn’t](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/british/almond). (At least, in the U.S.) > > Actually, there are regional dialects. I was listening to the radio one day, driving from L.A. to Bellingham, and it took me a while to figure out what these ‘ammins’ were that the ‘Ammin’ Board of California guy was talking about. Stop muddying the waters! Sheesh, just when I think I’ve got it figured out. ☹ ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/44 "2015-02-06T01:48:13Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Stop muddying the waters! But I _like_ [Muddy Waters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0_eRVroLqs)! ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/45 "2015-02-06T02:03:03Z")
What is it with the zombie folk waking the zombie yolks today? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/46 "2015-02-06T03:51:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [No, it isn’t](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/british/almond). (At least, in the U.S.) > > Actually, there are regional dialects. I was listening to the radio one day, driving from L.A. to Bellingham, and it took me a while to figure out what these ‘ammins’ were that the ‘Ammin’ Board of California guy was talking about. The guys who actually grow AHL-monds pronounce it AA-mond. You’ll hear that all throughout the Central Valley around Modesto. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/47 "2015-02-06T03:57:28Z")
PA, DE, and OH here. I say the L, but I guess it is a soft L, if there is such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/48 "2015-02-06T04:02:10Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Says the guy from Wisconsin. :rolleyes: Wisconsin in 2006 isn’t the same as WI in 2015. Y’know? ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/49 "2015-02-06T04:10:54Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The guys who actually grow AHL-monds pronounce it AA-mond. You’ll hear that all throughout the Central Valley around Modesto. Yep. I’d never heard them called anything else, for almost 40 years, but ‘all-munds’. It really did confuse me, hearing the guy talk about ‘ammins’. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/50 "2015-02-06T04:17:21Z")
As for the OP, I consider there to be a partial “L” pronounced in “folk”. Maybe 25 -50% of the sound. Folk and Poke rhyme, more or less, but they are not pronounced quite the same, for me. Certainly the German cognate, “volk” has a voiced “L”. For instance, to say “foke music” almost sounds like “fake music” rather than “folk music”. “Yolk” otoh, has a silent “L”, such that YOLK and YOKE are pronounced the same. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/51 "2015-02-06T04:27:11Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > “Yolk” otoh, has a silent “L”, such that YOLK and YOKE are pronounced the same. Not for me. One would know whether I was talking about the yellow part of an egg, or the thing a pilot controls an airplane with. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/52 "2015-02-06T04:50:44Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Are you saying that you’re worried you’ll sound like a yokel? 🙂 Of course not. The fear is sounding like a yolkel. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/53 "2015-02-06T04:58:13Z")
This thread reminds me of an old enunciation test: _The hyphens indicate that one is to spell out the word concerned to the test taker._ [ol][li]How do you say p-o-k-e?[/li][li]How do you say f-o-k-e?[/li][li]How do you say s-o-a-k?[/li][li]How do you say t-o-k-e?[/li][li]How do you say c-o-k-e?[/li]What do you call the white part of an egg?[/ol] ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/54 "2015-02-06T05:11:02Z")
[quote=“Monty, post:53, topic:359198”] This thread reminds me of an old enunciation test: _The hyphens indicate that one is to spell out the word concerned to the test taker._ [ol][li]How do you say p-o-k-e?[/li][li]How do you say f-o-k-e?[/li][li]How do you say s-o-a-k?[/li][li]How do you say t-o-k-e?[/li][li]How do you say c-o-k-e?[/li][li]What do you call the white part of an egg?[/ol][/li][/QUOTE] That reminds _me_ of an old ‘trick’: How do you pronounce t-w-a? How do you pronounce t-w-e? How do you pronounce t-w-i? How do you pronounce t-w-o? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/55 "2015-02-06T05:18:46Z")
How about President Polk? I’ve always called him “Poke.” ---
**Author:** ![ALOHA\_HATER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@ALOHA\_HATER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ALOHA_HATER)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/56 "2015-02-06T07:30:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Not for me. One would know whether I was talking about the yellow part of an egg, or the thing a pilot controls an airplane with. What are you trying to pull? Exactly nobody pronounces the l in yolk. Folk either way, but the positioning of the tongue (coming from the yo-) makes a phonetic pronunciation of yolk not just unconventional but really difficult to utter. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/57 "2015-02-06T10:18:30Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > How about President Polk? I’ve always called him “Poke.” Sorry, the president called and he wants his “L” back. 🙂 ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/58 "2015-02-06T11:41:08Z")
North-eastern UK perspective Poke, soak, yolk, folk, coke, all rhyme for me. Polk would be different as the “l” would be pronounced cork, walk, talk, caulk, hawk, lawk(s!) also rhyme Baulk does not, the “l” is definitely pronounced. In fact, “Baulk” and “Polk” would also rhyme for me. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/59 "2015-02-06T12:52:17Z")
Does the dance called “polka” have a pronounced “l”? For me it sure does. And “Polk”, like the president, sounds the same as “polka” minus the final “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:** [February 6, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198/60 "2015-02-06T14:42:12Z")
> [@ALOHA\_HATER](#): > > the positioning of the tongue (coming from the yo-) makes a phonetic pronunciation of yolk not just unconventional but really difficult to utter. The positioning of the tongue is different, thus the sounds are different. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silent-l-in-folk-and-yolk/359198.md?page=4)