| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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7. Pronunciation Challenges: Confusions and Controversy
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| § 29. boatswain |
Usually pronounced (b ´s n), this word, like blackguard, has a pronunciation that is not easily predictable from the spelling. But whereas blackguard is never pronounced as two words, boatswain is often pronounced (bt´sw n´´)—by landlubbers, of course—and that is not considered incorrect. The variant spellings bosun, bo´s´n, and bos´n, reflecting the sailors´ pronunciation, have been around for well over a hundred years. Other nautical words with tricky pronunciations include bowline, forecastle, gunwale, mainsail, and topgallant, to name just a few. | 1 |
| More at
pronunciation spelling and
spelling pronunciation. | 2 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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