Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

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24-Hour Proofreading Service—We proofread your Google Docs or Microsoft Word files. We hate grammatical errors with a passion. Learn More

Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

Your Pain Is Our Pleasure

24-Hour Proofreading Service—We proofread your Google Docs or Microsoft Word files. We hate grammatical errors with a passion. Learn More

colonel

Since when does colo=ker. For the word ‘colonel’ we say “kernel,” but we don’t say “kerol” for the word ‘color.’ Its just a total disregard for any spelling rules whatsoever.

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ghoti

degustibus Jan-08-2005

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lol degustibus. For the rest of us... if you did not understand deg's response, google "ghoti." You'll find some interesting thoughts on spelling in English also.

Manilavanilla, no existing word is completely a violation of spelling rules. It;s just that the rules are a bit more complex than you think. In the particular case of "colonel," the spelling is correct but the pronunciation is "incorrect." Mindbending, I know.

speedwell2 Jan-08-2005

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I think it has to do with the British. All the french language influence and nobody knows what is going on.

familyguy Jan-08-2005

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Exceptions are often made in English. i'm sure we all remember the old elementary school grammar rule, "i before e, except after C".
But there are plenty of exceptions to this rule "hence the C".

Taylor Jan-08-2005

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http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19991217

It seems there were two forms of the word and we took the spelling of one and the pronunciation of the other.

Joachim1 Jan-10-2005

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Oh and Taylor, I personally think the problem isn't with the exceptions, it's with the rules. In particular I think the ie, ei thing, like "colonel" has a lot to do with etymology and, if it were taught that way, would be a lot simpler. Depending on which language the word came from and how it was pronounced in that language, it is spelled a particular way.

Joachim1 Jan-10-2005

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colonel = kernel,
so kernel of corn should be spelled colonel. ;)

C1 Jul-12-2007

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joachim, excellent link

anonymous4 Jul-12-2007

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