Why Is “Colonel” Pronounced “Kernel”? The Hidden Word Origins of Military Ranks

Opublikowano: 2026-09-05

Why is “colonel” pronounced “kernel” when there isn’t even an R in the word? And what do captain, corporal, lieutenant, sergeant, major, general, admiral, and private actually mean? Today I’m digging into the etymology and hidden word origins of military ranks, starting with one of the strangest spelling and pronunciation mysteries in English: colonel vs. kernel. From there, things get even weirder. Is corporal related to corpse? Does lieutenant really mean what it looks like when you break the word apart? Why do the British pronounce lieutenant “leftenant”? Are admiral and admire related? And what could t...