Today we focus more on history than usage . We are going to answer an age-old question that may have been keeping you awake at night . Well , perhaps not . But it's still an interesting word story ! The pronunciation of some words can cause trouble for people learning English . For example , words such as “circle ,” “sir ,” “certainly ” and “surprise ” all sound as if they begin with the same letters . But they don't . Knowing language of origin for an unknown or new word – its roots – can help you pronounce the word the right way . Just ask any student who has ever competed in a spelling bee . One question that spelling bee contestants can ask the judges during the event is , “What is the language of origin ?” Will you please give me the language of origin ? It's made up of Greek elements that were probably first combined in German . The development or evolution of a word over time can also play a part in how we say it . In fact , both origin and evolution are involved in the pronunciation of the word “colonel .” First , what does “colonel ” mean ? A colonel is a military official . In the United States , it can mean an officer in the Army , Air Force or Marine Corps . So , why do Americans say colonel as if it is spelled k-e-r-n-e-l ? Adding to the confusion is that "kernel " is a word of its own and one that has several meanings . But , let's get back to “colonel ” … the c-o-l-o-n-e-l one . We know that many languages borrow and even steal words from other languages . The English language is probably the biggest thief of them all ! It stole "colonel " from at least two countries – maybe even three . First , let's talk about Italy . By the 15th century , Italian forces were known for being good at war . So , many Italian war terms spread across Europe , including the word "colonel ." It comes from the Italian word ‘colonnello .’ This is the position given to the officer responsible for a small force or column of soldiers . Then there's the influence of France on “colonel .” 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 . Finally , let's not forget Spain . It is possible that both the French and the Spanish pronunciation affected the English version of the word . In addition to country of origin , there is something else at play in the word history of "colonel ": written versus spoken language . From the very beginning , when this word came into English in the 1500s , there were two versions of spelling and two pronunciations . By around the 17th century , the word began appearing in military treaties across Europe . So , the written form of the word (colonel ) and the spoken ("kernel ") were both being used . In English , a combination won out . Please let me apologize from the bottom of my heart for our crazy and sometimes confusing English pronunciations ! Join us again next week when we talk about more words and expressions in American English .