Why isn't 'know' spelled 'gno'?

Only if they’re affecting an Italian pronunciation. In English, I think “no-key” is the more common pronunciation, just like bruschetta has become “broo-SHET-uh” and not the more proper “broo-SKET-uh.” I know the “correct” pronunciation. I will most often pronounce it “broo-SHET-uh,” though, because that’s how most people in my dialect pronounce it. Even my born-in-Naples friend has adopted his pronunciation to the local one.

I just like how “gu” and “w” somehow converged. Guarantee and Warranty mean pretty much the same thing, you gno? And my Mexican husband calls me Wera, which is spelled Guera (white girl).

But yeah, if the vowel or consonant is still there, it’s because it was originally pronounced and everyone got lazy.

Silly English knigits.
Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries.
Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!

Or, the Animal Crackers cartoon?
Child: “Look mommy, a cow”.
Gnu: “I’m a Gnu! Gnu! GNNNUUUUU!”
Child: “Aw, the cow has a speech impediment.”

Yep*. The OP is thinking that the English word is derived from the Greek “gnōstikós”. Those two words are cognates, from the Proto-Indo-European **gno-*.

*Except it’s just cnāwan, for " to know" in O.E., from knēanan in Proto-Germanic. Later, becoming knowen in M.E.

Here in NYC, first, second generation NY-born Puerto Ricans often refer to themselves (and unlike “nigger,” has no heavy baggage when used by other groups) Nyorican or Nyorquenos, in both cases with tilde on the “n.”

Pity all the American schoolchildren. The Ninya, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

I’ve been saying the hard "g in “agnostic” my whole life. The dictionaries I’ve looked at in Google are agnostic on the issue.

For once, the IPA snark is well deserved!

How do you pronounce gnu? You may be thinking of a “ngo” spelling.

Goddamn it. Here I was going to point out that he was gnu here and you have to ruin the joke.

Sorry, I didn’t gnow that. Knext time I’ll be more coknizant of such things.

Am I the only one who remembers this?

So is l-i-v-e: live or live? Do you live there? Is that a live concert? I live in America damnit and if I were to attend a live concert here I might live to regret it. But I do sometimes live in the moment even though I sometimes watch live broadcasts of sports events.

However, I have noticed there is one word those english speakers in the UK actually pronounce correctly. It isn’t a LABRATORY it’s a LABORATORY!

My goodness. What a bastardized language we speak. We must be the smartest people on Earth! (English speakers I mean)

Not the gnu I was hoping it was.

As much as I enjoy teasing Americans for their pronunciations, I’ve always cut them some slack for this one and taken it as if the first O is just very subtle, much as the second O is in the British pronunciation (“la-bor-a-tree”).

All the IPA will tell us is that the symbol g is used to transcribe the sound /g/.

And, I want know to be gno because of the associated words gnostic, gnosticism, etc.

All right, I’m turnng my thoughts now to how I feel about avatars. Seems to be some real action happening there.

What?

Pronounced ‘La BRATE Or ee’ :smiley:

I don’t gno. But I know.

This reminds me of the old bit about “ghoti” = “fish.” You have the “gh” in “laugh,” the “o” in “women” and the “ti” in "constitution. Ghoti!

If you’re talking to me, yes the IPA for “g” is g and "n "for n. But the IPA for “gn” is ɲ. We all know what you’re saying, maybe you should hang out with Noah Webster. Obviously some deep-seated prejudice against “w”. Why have double-yoo when we can have two-yoos! :wink:

You should blame Jorj Bernəd ʃa!

I thought ɲ was “ng” as in “running”, or is that the one with the tail on the OTHER side?

Yep, tail on other side for running or sing “ŋ”, exactly. But note “ɳ”, not in English. Then you have a bunch of weird ones, like  ŋ̥, ɳ̊, ɲ̥.

Edited to say: the dot on the bottom of the last one stays put if I type and move the character around. Creepy.