Words / B2

KURNL/ˈkɜːnl/

A colonel is a senior army officer rank (silent first l; sounds like kernel): Colonel Smith; the colonel’s orders. A major or general is a different rank; kernel is a seed. Name the colonel in the dispatch. Mix-up: colonial (already in the dictionary); kernel. Do not write colonel for a naval captain unless the source uses that army rank.

Meaning

A senior army officer rank (spelt with a silent first l).

Examples

• “Name the colonel in the dispatch, not a film character.”
• “The silent l in colonel featured in the spelling test, which is the pronunciation trap.”

Good to know

Colonel + name; a colonel in the army. Sounds like kernel. Trap: colonial. History, news, and spelling. A senior army rank, not a colony adjective.

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