• grissino@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    As you should. Unless you pronounce the word helicopter as “helico’ter” too, as they share the same root word; pteron.

    • KSP Atlas@sopuli.xyz
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      2 days ago

      The reason why the p in “pterodactyl” is silent is because the consonant cluster /pt/ isn’t allowed as the initial part of a syllable

      When words are borrowed into English but have consonant clusters like this, English simplifies the cluster (in this case, /pt/ becomes /t/)

      However, if the consonant cluster is preceded by a vowel, it splits up and the first consonant becomes the coda (final part) of the preceding syllable

      So while it might have been he-li-co-pter in Greek, it became he-li-cop-ter in English

      This also explains the silent g in “phlegm” and why it’s pronounced in “phlegmatic”

      • grissino@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Funny that pt isn’t allowed but ph is allowed. Or maybe we should start to say “hlematic” 😜

        • KSP Atlas@sopuli.xyz
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          23 hours ago

          That’s because “ph” is a combination of two letters to make a single sound

          Using the IPA, an alphabet designed for writing down sounds of words, where one sound tends to correspond to one letter, “phlegm” is /ˈflɛm/ and “phlegmatic” is /fleɡˈma.tɪk/

        • KSP Atlas@sopuli.xyz
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          1 day ago

          That’s perfectly fine, as long as others understand you the exact was you pronounce it doesn’t matter

          I was just saying what tends to happen, not what always happens