Discussion
Find the correctly spelt word:
Answer: D
Correct answer: Sergeant
The correct spelling is sergeant - ser- at the start, though it is pronounced sar-. The mismatch is historical. The word came from the Old French sergent, from the Latin servientem, one who serves - the same root as serve, servant and service. Holding serve in mind fixes the first syllable against the ear. The er pronounced as ar is a regular feature of older English, and it survives in clerk, pronounced clark in British usage, and in the surname Derby. The middle gea is the second trap: the sequence gives a soft j sound, as it does in pigeon, dungeon, surgeon, bludgeon and gorgeous. Note the corresponding rank lieutenant, which is equally unphonetic and equally often misspelt.
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