# To what extent is "cavalry" pronounced "calvary" in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 21, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928 "2013-02-21T00:51:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/1 "2013-02-21T00:51:39Z")
I’ve noticed it a few times and was wondering how widespread that pronunciation was. I noticed it in a museum in Cleveland and on a few tv shows including Pawn Stars. The main guy in Pawn Stars refers to the “7th Calvary”. What’s the SD? Is “calvary” the standard pronunciation in the US? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/2 "2013-02-21T00:55:51Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve noticed it a few times and was wondering how widespread that pronunciation was. I noticed it in a museum in Cleveland and on a few tv shows including Pawn Stars. The main guy in Pawn Stars refers to the “7th Calvary”. What’s the SD? Is “calvary” the standard pronunciation in the US? More or less. I’m occaisionally run across someone using the old pronunciation, but only in period-peice movies and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/3 "2013-02-21T00:56:13Z")
Certainly not. I’ve heard it the other way round, though. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/4 "2013-02-21T00:57:55Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve noticed it a few times and was wondering how widespread that pronunciation was. I noticed it in a museum in Cleveland and on a few tv shows including Pawn Stars. The main guy in Pawn Stars refers to the “7th Calvary”. What’s the SD? Is “calvary” the standard pronunciation in the US? I don’t know for sure, but I’m going to WAG that this is nothing more than somebody confusing the two words with one another. I would have guessed that the opposite mispronunciation would be more common: pronouncing “Calvary” as “cavalry”. I myself had these two words confused many years ago, until one day I happened to notice that one of them wasn’t spelled the way I thought it was. It wasn’t that I was confused about which word was which. Rather, I didn’t even realize there were two distinct words there. (Kinda like that thread last week, on the confusion of “predominate” vs. “predominant”.) ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/5 "2013-02-21T00:59:49Z")
Even though I know the difference between these two words, I have to pronounce them carefully or I will sometimes substitute one for the other. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/6 "2013-02-21T01:01:45Z")
Not quite a GQ. I’ve moved it to IMHO. **samclem** ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/7 "2013-02-21T01:06:23Z")
Calvary for cavalry sounds somewhat common for a mispronunciation. It’s the kind of thing that gets self-reinforced if you make the mistake too often. I don’t know of it being a regional thing, but I’ve met people who seemed to inherit mispronunciatons from their family life. But in this case it’s also a minor slip of the tongue, could happen to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/8 "2013-02-21T01:07:25Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Not quite a GQ. I’ve moved it to IMHO. > **samclem** I’ll defer to your better judgement. Maybe I should have asked is “calvary” the standard pronunciation for “cavalry” in the US. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/9 "2013-02-21T01:09:43Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ll defer to your better judgement. Maybe I should have asked is “calvary” the standard pronunciation for “cavalry” in the US. No way. Just a small variation. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/10 "2013-02-21T01:11:28Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ll defer to your better judgement. Maybe I should have asked is “calvary” the standard pronunciation for “cavalry” in the US. Not at all. It is a fairly common mispronunciation, though. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/11 "2013-02-21T01:12:05Z")
In my experience it’s almost always pronounced calvary. I say it correctly but I had to learn that on my own. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/12 "2013-02-21T01:12:35Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve noticed it a few times and was wondering how widespread that pronunciation was. I noticed it in a museum in Cleveland and on a few tv shows including Pawn Stars. The main guy in Pawn Stars refers to the “7th Calvary”. What’s the SD? Is “calvary” the standard pronunciation in the US? No it’s not; never underestimate the power of ignorance. Most of the dictionaries I checked only list the standard, “cav-al-ry” pronunciation, but [Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavalry), after giving that pronunciation, also has the “cal-va-ry” pronunciation with what looks like a “divided by” symbol in front of it. Does anyone know what they mean by that symbol? does it indicate a legitimate alternative pronunciation, or a common incorrect pronunciation? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/13 "2013-02-21T01:13:47Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > No way. Just a small variation. Is it a regional pronunciation in Northeast Ohio? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/14 "2013-02-21T01:18:20Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > No it’s not; never underestimate the power of ignorance. > > Most of the dictionaries I checked only list the standard, “cav-al-ry” pronunciation, but [Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavalry), after giving that pronunciation, also has the “cal-va-ry” pronunciation with what looks like a “divided by” symbol in front of it. Does anyone know what they mean by that symbol? does it indicate a legitimate alternative pronunciation, or a common incorrect pronunciation? From the M-W FAQ: “The obelus, or division sign, is placed before a pronunciation variant that occurs in educated speech but that is considered by some to be questionable or unacceptable.” ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/15 "2013-02-21T01:19:04Z")
Having the crucifixion on cavalry would have made it more exciting. It’s a bit like the yummy [Biblical toffee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmel_%28biblical_settlement%29) so many Americans seem to enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/16 "2013-02-21T01:21:01Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Is it a regional pronunciation in Northeast Ohio? It certainly shouldn’t be. They have [Cavaliers](http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/) there. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/17 "2013-02-21T01:25:52Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > From the M-W FAQ: > > “The obelus, or division sign, is placed before a pronunciation variant that occurs in educated speech but that is considered by some to be questionable or unacceptable.” Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/18 "2013-02-21T01:28:54Z")
Maybe I’m not paying enough attention, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say “Calvary” for “cavalry”. Of course, the word cavalry doesn’t come up that much in conversation. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/19 "2013-02-21T01:35:41Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Maybe I’m not paying enough attention, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say “Calvary” for “cavalry”. Of course, the word cavalry doesn’t come up that much in conversation. Yeah it’s rare I hear it but in approx. 50% of instances I’ve heard an American using the term they’ve said “calvary” but then there’s far less reason for an Irish person to use the term so maybe it really is just a mistake rather than an alternate pronunciation and a similar amount of Irish folk would pronounce it “Calvary”. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928/20 "2013-02-21T01:53:01Z")
I struggle with those two words. My wife pointed out that I pronounced them both as “Calvary.” Now I very consciously say “ca-val-ry” in a very slow and certain way, like I am trying to teach it to a child. People think I am strange. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-is-cavalry-pronounced-calvary-in-the-us/650928.md?page=2)