Why Does Colonel Pronounced Kernel?

The French also took this word from the Italians. But when they added it to their language, they changed the word "colonnelo" to "coronel." Language experts say this is because the French wanted to have the "r" sound in the word, instead of the two "l" sounds. ... Colonel was spelled c-o-l-o-n-e-l but pronounced "kernel."

Why is colonel pronounced like kernel when there is no R in the word?

This was because the rank was bestowed upon the commander of a column of troops. This word was then adopted by the French, who translated the term in their own language, converted the word 'colonnello' to the word 'coronel'. This is the reason why 'colonel' is pronounced 'kernel'.

Why is colonel pronounced so weird?

Why is the word “colonel” pronounced with an “r” sound when it is not spelled with an “r”? “Colonel” came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. ... The English spelling also changed, and the pronunciation was shortened to two syllables.