6 syllables: Lieu, ten, ant, Co, lo, nel. Stress on ten.
loo-TEN-uhnt KURR-nuhl
/luːˈtɛnənt ˈkɜːɹnəl/
Lieutenant-Colonel is pronounced loo-TEN-uhnt KURR-nuhl (/luːˈtɛnənt ˈkɜːɹnəl/). It has six syllables (Lieu-ten-ant-Co-lo-nel), with the stress on "ten". Lieutenant-Colonel is a two-star military rank used in many armed forces. The term combines two titles: lieutenant, an officer rank, and colonel, the senior field-grade rank. In English usage, the full compound name is spoken as a single title with a distinct, non-phonemic hyphen, often pronounced with surprising reductions in rapid speech.
nounLieutenant-Colonel is a two-star military rank used in many armed forces. The term combines two titles: lieutenant, an officer rank, and colonel, the senior field-grade rank. In English usage, the full compound name is spoken as a single title with a distinct, non-phonemic hyphen, often pronounced with surprising reductions in rapid speech.
How to Pronounce Lieutenant-Colonel
"The Lieutenant-Colonel inspected the troops before the parade."
"She reported to the Lieutenant-Colonel on the progress of the mission."
"The order came down from the Lieutenant-Colonel to secure the flanks."
Pronounce as /lɛfˈtɛnənt ˈkɜːr.nəl/ (US) or /ləˈtenənt ˈkɜːlə(l)/ (UK). The main challenge is the non-intuitive 'lieutenant' syllables, which often reduce to LUF-tuh-nunt or lef- TEN-unt in casual speech; keep the stress on the second syllable of lieutenant and on colonel's first syllable. The space or hyphen is a natural pause, but in fluent speech, many speakers blend the two words. Practice with slow tempo, then speed up while maintaining the primary stress on the second syllable of the first word and on colonel’s first syllable. Audio cues: listen to military briefings and use Pronounce as a reference for native cues.
Common errors include misplacing stress (putting emphasis on the wrong syllable in lieutenant), pronouncing colonel like colon-el with a hard L, and failing to connect the two words smoothly in rapid speech. Correct by stressing lieutenant on its second syllable (lieu-TEN-ant) and colonel on its first syllable (KUR-nəl in many US accents, KER-nəl in some UK variants). Practice with slow deliberate enunciation, then blend the words while preserving the colonel stress. Mouth positioning: tongue high in the mouth for lieutenant, then a light, rounded onset for colonel.
In US English, lieutenant typically sounds like luff-TENN-uhnt and colonel as KER-nəl, giving US Lt-Col a rhythm with a strong early 'ten' and a distant 'l' in colonel. UK English tends to use lə-TEH-nənt with a more neutral vowel in lieutenant and a clearer colonel with a light, not heavily rhotic r. Australian often reduces lieutenant further to luf-TA-nent and keeps colonel closer to Kuhl-nəl, with non-rhotic r-like coloring. In all cases, stress remains primarily on lieutenant’s second syllable and colonel’s first syllable; listen for vowel shifts and rhoticity differences across regions.
The difficulty comes from the contrast between the expected spelling and actual pronunciation of both words. Lieutenant’s irregular pronunciation (the silent or reduced vowels in certain syllables) and colonel’s pronunciation (the 'r' is often silent or weak in many dialects, and the n-el sequence creates a non-intuitive sound) demand careful articulation. You’ll need precise tongue positions: the 'lieu' vowel in lieutenant, the 'ten' stress, and the 'ker-nel' or 'kuh-nəl' colonel. Slow articulation with IPA guidance will help you reproduce the standard forms in formal contexts.
A distinctive question is: Do you pronounce the colonel with a rolled r or a silent r in this compound? The answer: colonel is typically pronounced without a strong rhotic roll in most varieties; you’ll hear a reduced 'nəl' ending. The unique phonetic feature is the bridge between lieutenant and colonel: the transition from the stressed 'ten' in lieutenant to the 'ker' or 'kuh' sound leading into 'nel.' The pronunciation is a target for practitioners focusing on high-stress, uniform contexts. Practicing with minimal pairs will highlight the subtle shifts.
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The title Lieutenant-Colonel originates from the combination of two ranks in English-speaking armies. Lieutenant derives from the French lieutenant, meaning a deputy or place-holder, from Old French lietuenant, with roots in Latin legatus ‘legate, envoy.’ Colonel comes from the Latin colonellus, a diminutive of colonus meaning ‘farmer, inhabitant’ but by the Middle Ages evolved into a rank of leadership within a regiment. In English, the compound Lieutenant-Colonel has historically indicated a deputy to the colonel who would command a regiment in absence of the colonel. The first known uses appear in 17th-century Britain as regimental command structures formalized, with the rank taking on strategic leadership duties. Over time, the spelling and hyphenation varied, stabilizing in modern usage as Lieutenant-Colonel, a senior officer typically in command of a regiment or corps. The pronunciation is notable for its irregular stress and the non-intuitive linking of the two words, especially in rapid speech, where the “lieutenant” portion often becomes reduced or altered in many dialects. The term remains widely used across Commonwealth and U.S. militaries, preserving the historical blend of French and Latin-derived military vocabulary within English. First known written use in the current compound form appears in the 18th–19th centuries as standardized military nomenclature.
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Words that rhyme with "Lieutenant-Colonel"
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