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—Pronunciation note Colonel Audio Help /ˈkɜrnl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kur-nl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, with its medial l pronounced as /r/[r], illustrates one source for the apparent vagaries of English spelling: divergence between a word's orthographic development and its established pronunciation. In this case, English borrowed from French two variant forms of the same word, one pronounced with medial and final /l/[l], and a second reflecting dissimilation of the first /l/[l] to /r/[r]. After a period of competition, the dissimilated form triumphed in pronunciation, while the spelling colonel became the orthographic standard.