{"id":1554,"date":"2020-09-05T20:53:55","date_gmt":"2020-09-05T20:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patrickcarpen.com\/english\/?page_id=1554"},"modified":"2020-09-05T21:29:12","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T21:29:12","slug":"pronuncation-iron-the-irony-of-it-all","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/patrickcarpen.com\/english\/english-spelling-and-pronunciation\/pronuncation-iron-the-irony-of-it-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Pronuncation: Iron: The Irony of it All"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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First Published: 5th of September, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last updated: September 5, 2020 at 21:29 pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Standard English pronunciation can be troublesome. There are rules, and there are, as always, exceptions to the rules. The word “iron” is a good example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People of the Caribbean often pronounce it “i-ron.” That is, just the way it is spelled. However, in British pronunciation, the “r” is silent. Say: I-on. And, in American pronunciation, the r is reversed: say i-earn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confusing? Welcome to the English Language. Remember, if you’re saying “i-ron,” it is not necessarily wrong. We could just classify it as Caribbean Standard Pronunciation. But know for sure that that pronunciation would be wrong by American and British Standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to stick to standard American English, say i-earn. If you are speaking by British standards, say “i-on.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the confusion doesn’t end there! While the Americans pronounce “iron” as “i-earn,” they pronounce “irony” as “I-ron-ee” and “ironic” as “i-RON-ic.” Now that’s ironic isn’t it? Yes! The irony of it all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n