Did you ever wonder why the word pneumonia starts with a “p.” I mean the first letter is silent and really does not belong.

My dad Sam Lovern always laughed at the spelling of this word and said it should be pronounced “pugh-moan-yuh.”

Thus we have the age-old question of the inconsistent English language that I have wondered about for many years.

Some of it is the spelling of words and the silent letters like my first example. Other examples could be in the pronunciation of certain words in our language.

If you think about it, there are many more examples.

For instance, the letter “k” is not pronounced in words such as “knife,” “knee,” “know” and “knight.”

The letter “b” is not needed in the words doubt, comb, plumber, thumb or subtle.

Then the letter “c” is not needed in the pronunciation of muscle, scissors, fascinate, descent and obscene.

Here are some everyday examples of the letter “g” which is not needed in the spelling of the words reign, foreign, design or align.

You have the silent “h” in the spelling and pronunciation of the words honest, ghost, chemical and echo.

The letter “L” is not used when saying the words salmon, behalf and would.

Just like in the word pneumonia, the letter “p” sound is not used in these words, including receipt, pseudo, psychology and psychic.

You have the words castle, whistle, gourmet, depot, buffet and debut that do not need the letter “t” in their spelling or pronunciation.

Of course there is the silent “w” in the words write, wrong, wrist, wrangle, wrap and wrinkle.

These are just a few examples. I am sure you can think of more.

When I did a little research online I found this quote.

“English is inconsistent due to its complex history, borrowing from multiple languages, historical sound changes, and the lack of a governing authority for standardization.” I guess this makes some sense out of the inconsistency.

We have had so many influences, many from European countries, in the early stages of our country.

Take the consonant group “gh” and consider how it is pronounced in different words. Though is pronounced “th-oh” and through sounds like it should be spelled “throo.” We also thought, which sounds like it should be spelled “th-awt” and enough which sounds like “enuff.”

My wife, Vicki, got me thinking about this when she questioned the spelling of the word “debris.” Why does it have the “s” on the end? It seems as though it should be spelled “debris.” Vicki said that it is a total waste of the letter “s.”

The military word it.”

Either and neither can both be pronounced as both “ee-thur” and “ai-thur.”

Data is heard two ways: “day-tu” or “da-tuh.”

I am sure you may have a couple of examples of your own when you take time to think about it.

English’s inconsistencies are the result of historical immigration, extensive borrowing, pronunciation shifts, irregular grammar, and the absence of a regulating body.

While challenging, understanding these factors can help us approach English with patience, especially when it comes to spelling and pronouncing certain words. A dictionary definitely comes in handy at times.

So I guess our language can be considered quirky and often confusing.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)