As I mentioned before, the English language is totally warped, and proficiency in speaking the English language takes special effort. The pronunciation of the word “iron” is yet another example of this fact. How do you pronounce the word “iron”? At first glance, the easiest thing to do is say “i-ron.” That is “i” as in “eye” and “ron” as in “Ron.”
But the irony of it all is it’s not that simple. The British pronounce this word with a silent “r.” So in British pronunciation, we say “i-on.” But it doesn’t stop there. Remember, the United States, the breakaway colony, took it a step further. They put back the “r” in iron, but they put it in the wrong place. The Americans say “i-orn.” In spelling, the word remains “iron” but in American pronunciation, the r is moved from before the “o” to after it. It’s no longer a silent “r” but a misplaced r!
Remember, American English was influenced by a wide variety of people, languages, and cultures. Americans claimed the made the English Language easier, but they made some things harder, as evident in this case, and that’s the irony of it all!
By the way, “irony” is pronounced just like it is spelled. You say “i-ron-y,” not “i-on-y” or “i-or-ny.”
