L (letter): Difference between revisions
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'''L, l''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the twelfth letter of most variants, being placed after [[K (letter)|K]] and before [[M (letter)|M]], as is the case for instance in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is | '''L, l''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the twelfth letter of most variants, being placed after [[K (letter)|K]] and before [[M (letter)|M]], as is the case for instance in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is ''el'', pronounced [ˈel]. | ||
L is also the [[Roman numerals|Roman numeral]] representing the number [[50]]. | L is also the [[Roman numerals|Roman numeral]] representing the number [[50]]. | ||
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==Use in English== | ==Use in English== | ||
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}} | {{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}} | ||
'''l''' is a liquid sound: the tongue touches the top of the mouth behind the teeth | '''l''' is a liquid sound: the tongue touches the top of the mouth behind the teeth: '''lâke, lít, lót, lúng, lòunge, ålways, Álice, alîve, alône, alàrm, lêek''' ''vegetable'' = '''lêak''' ''water'', '''lāst'''. | ||
{{:English spellings/Accents}} | |||
'''l''' begins consonant clusters: '''élbow, álcohol, ôld, Álfred, Ólga, élk, Élspeth, ållspîce, élm, hélp, álpha, ålso, ålter, fílth, últra, alvêolar or alveôlar, ålways'''. | '''l''' begins consonant clusters: '''élbow, álcohol, ôld, Álfred, Ólga, élk, Élspeth, ållspîce, élm, hélp, álpha, ålso, ålter, fílth, últra, alvêolar or alveôlar, ålways'''. | ||
It is silent in the rhyming [[modal verbs]] '''coúld, shoùld''' and '''woùld''' ( | It is silent in the rhyming [[modal verbs]] '''coúld, shoùld''' (*cùd, shùd) and '''woùld''' (= '''woòd''' ''tree'') and in the end-of-syllable combinations -'''àlm''', -'''ālf''': '''cālf, hālf, càlm, bàlm, quàlm''', and in the apparently plural '''àlms''': compare '''hålt''', where the '''l''' is pronounced. It is also silent in '''fôlk, yôlk''' ''egg'' (= '''yôke''' ''ox''), '''tålk, wålk''' (which rhyme with '''squåwk''') and '''sálmon'''; '''cölonel''' ''army'' = '''kërnel''' ''nut'', and for most speakers, '''Hôlmes''' ''Sherlock'' = '''hômes''' ''dwellings''. | ||
'''l''' is normally doubled at the end of words after short vowels of one letter: '''íll, fåll, féll, dóll, pôll''' ''election'' (= '''pôle''' ''wood''), '''tôll, bùll, gúll, núll, fíll, Bíll, båll, ståll, fùll''' but not in '''níl''', and the unstressed, suffix version of '''fùll''' has only one '''l''': '''hôpeful, wònderful'''. | '''l''' is normally doubled at the end of words after short vowels of one letter: '''íll, fåll, féll, dóll, pôll''' ''election'' (= '''pôle''' ''wood''), '''tôll, bùll, gúll, núll, fíll, Bíll, båll, ståll, fùll''' but not in '''níl''', and the unstressed, suffix version of '''fùll''' has only one '''l''': '''hôpeful, wònderful'''. | ||
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'''l''' is single after a two-letter vowel: '''cråwl, foôl, rêal, fòul''' ''horrible'' = '''fòwl''' ''bird'', '''håul, sôul''' ''spirit'' (= '''sôle''' ''only, fish''). | '''l''' is single after a two-letter vowel: '''cråwl, foôl, rêal, fòul''' ''horrible'' = '''fòwl''' ''bird'', '''håul, sôul''' ''spirit'' (= '''sôle''' ''only, fish''). | ||
Hyphens are normally used to avoid more than double letters, e.g. '''shéll-less''', but the Welsh placename '''Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogóch''' has four in a row. | |||
Light '''l''' | === Light and dark '''l''' sounds === | ||
There are actually two '''l''' sounds: two '''l''' [[allophones]] form the '''l''' [[phoneme]]. Initial '''l''' is called light '''l''', while dark '''l''' is found in final position, or before another consonant. Light '''l''' is pronounced more in the front of the mouth, with the tip of the tongue (as '''l''' is always pronounced in French, Italian, Spanish and German); dark '''l''' is pronounced with the middle of the mouth and tongue (but not, except in some dialects, virtually as a '''w''' as in Portuguese) and lasts longer: | |||
Dark '''l''' (ending a syllable): '''ålways, stíll, élse, ålso, dóll, fåll, ålter, fåult, píll, cråwl'''. | Light '''l''' (beginning a syllable): '''prelíminary, lîght, clínk, líp, allót, flíp, alône, slêek'''. Dark '''l''' (ending a syllable): '''ålways, stíll, élse, ålso, dóll, fåll, ålter, fåult, píll, cråwl'''. Compare the two '''l''' sounds of '''Glenêagles'''; and of '''bléss''' and '''fâbles''' (*fâblz). | ||
Medial double '''l''' is lighter in BrE than in AmE: '''fílling, téller, bállot, tåller, fållen, instílled'''. | Medial double '''l''' is lighter in BrE than in AmE: '''fílling, téller, bállot, tåller, fållen, instílled'''. | ||
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In some varieties, Welsh English, for example, only light '''l''' is used. | In some varieties, Welsh English, for example, only light '''l''' is used. | ||
Dark, doubled and final, -'''ll''' influences the sound of a preceding a: '''wåll, håll, tåll, åll, fåll, appåll''' (AmE; BrE '''appål'''), '''gåll, båll, ståll, cåll''' and '''måll''' - but not, strangely, in '''Páll Máll'''. | Dark, doubled and final, -'''ll''' influences the sound of a preceding a: '''wåll, håll, tåll, åll, fåll, appåll''' (AmE; BrE '''appål'''), '''gåll, båll, ståll, cåll''' and '''måll''' - but not, strangely, in '''Páll Máll''' and '''the Máll''' . | ||
But only one '''l''', plus a consonant, is required in the middle of a word to produce '''å''': '''fålter, ålter, hålt, hålter, althôugh''' ('''ål'''-), '''Wålter''' (cf. '''wåter'''), '''målt, scåld, ålder''' and the '''l''' for most speakers is rendered silent before '''k''': '''wålk, tålk, chålk, bålk''' (also spelt '''båulk'''). | But only one '''l''', plus a consonant, is required in the middle of a word to produce '''å''': '''fålter, ålter, hålt, hålter, althôugh''' ('''ål'''-), '''Wålter''' (cf. '''wåter'''), '''målt, scåld, ålder''' and the '''l''' for most speakers is rendered silent before '''k''': '''wålk, tålk, chålk, bålk''' (also spelt '''båulk'''). | ||
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Nouns: '''prínciple''' (= '''príncipal'''), '''partíciple, pàrticle, fóllicle, múddle, púddle, cúddle, ẁaddle, dóddle''', and '''mólecule'''. | Nouns: '''prínciple''' (= '''príncipal'''), '''partíciple, pàrticle, fóllicle, múddle, púddle, cúddle, ẁaddle, dóddle''', and '''mólecule'''. | ||
=== Welsh double '''l''' sound === | |||
In Welsh names such as '''Llangóllen''' the '''ll''' has a special, voiceless pronunciation, [[IPA ]][ɬ], usually approximated in non-Welsh English as Cl- or Thl-. | |||
===-'''ôl'''=== | ===-'''ôl'''=== | ||
A common ending is -'''ôl''', spelt thus in '''contrôl''', but not in monosyllables, where there are several variants: '''bôwl, côal''' ''fire'' = '''Côle''' ''person'', '''dôle''' (also '''Dôle''' ''person''; cf. dóll), '''fôal, gôal, hôle, cajôle, Kôhl''' ''person'', '''môle''' (cf. '''móll'''), '''knôll''' *nôle (cf. '''Knôwles''' ''person''), '''ôle''' (informal variant of '''ôld'''), '''pôle''' ''wood'' = '''Pôle''' ''person'' = '''pôll''' ''vote'' (cf. '''Póll''' ''Polly''), '''rôll''' ''round'' = '''rôle''' ''play'', '''sôul''' ''spirit'' = '''sôle''' ''only'', ''fish'' = '''tôll''' ''bell'', '''vôle'''. | A common ending is -'''ôl''', spelt thus in '''contrôl''', but not in monosyllables, where there are several variants: '''bôwl, côal''' ''fire'' = '''Côle''' ''person'', '''dôle''' (also '''Dôle''' ''person''; cf. '''dóll'''), '''fôal, gôal, hôle, cajôle, Kôhl''' ''person'', '''môle''' (cf. '''móll'''), '''knôll''' *nôle (cf. '''Knôwles''' ''person''), '''ôle''' (informal variant of '''ôld'''), '''pôle''' ''wood'' = '''Pôle''' ''person'' = '''pôll''' ''vote'' (cf. '''Póll''' ''Polly''), '''rôll''' ''round'' = '''rôle''' ''play'', '''sôul''' ''spirit'' = '''sôle''' ''only'', ''fish'' = '''tôll''' ''bell'', '''vôle'''. | ||
===Anomalous pronunciation=== | |||
In all standard pronunciations, whether rhotic (sounding '''r''' before a consonant) or not, '''cölonel''' ''army'' = '''kërnel''' ''nut''. Thus in most of the USA, the first '''l''' in '''cölonel''' is pronounced as '''r'''. | |||
==Scientific uses== | |||
*''L'': electromagnetic inductance | |||
* | |||
Latest revision as of 12:21, 4 September 2014
L, l is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the twelfth letter of most variants, being placed after K and before M, as is the case for instance in the English alphabet. Its English name is el, pronounced [ˈel].
L is also the Roman numeral representing the number 50.
Use in English
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use in English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alphabetical word list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retroalphabetical list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common misspellings |
l is a liquid sound: the tongue touches the top of the mouth behind the teeth: lâke, lít, lót, lúng, lòunge, ålways, Álice, alîve, alône, alàrm, lêek vegetable = lêak water, lāst.
- The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.
l begins consonant clusters: élbow, álcohol, ôld, Álfred, Ólga, élk, Élspeth, ållspîce, élm, hélp, álpha, ålso, ålter, fílth, últra, alvêolar or alveôlar, ålways.
It is silent in the rhyming modal verbs coúld, shoùld (*cùd, shùd) and woùld (= woòd tree) and in the end-of-syllable combinations -àlm, -ālf: cālf, hālf, càlm, bàlm, quàlm, and in the apparently plural àlms: compare hålt, where the l is pronounced. It is also silent in fôlk, yôlk egg (= yôke ox), tålk, wålk (which rhyme with squåwk) and sálmon; cölonel army = kërnel nut, and for most speakers, Hôlmes Sherlock = hômes dwellings.
l is normally doubled at the end of words after short vowels of one letter: íll, fåll, féll, dóll, pôll election (= pôle wood), tôll, bùll, gúll, núll, fíll, Bíll, båll, ståll, fùll but not in níl, and the unstressed, suffix version of fùll has only one l: hôpeful, wònderful.
BrE inståll can also be instål in AmE, and, in reverse, BrE appål can also be appåll in AmE; both have appålling.
In sátellîte it is the l, not the first t, which is doubled, and in párallel it is the first l - not the r or the second l, as one might expect.
l is single after a two-letter vowel: cråwl, foôl, rêal, fòul horrible = fòwl bird, håul, sôul spirit (= sôle only, fish).
Hyphens are normally used to avoid more than double letters, e.g. shéll-less, but the Welsh placename Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogóch has four in a row.
Light and dark l sounds
There are actually two l sounds: two l allophones form the l phoneme. Initial l is called light l, while dark l is found in final position, or before another consonant. Light l is pronounced more in the front of the mouth, with the tip of the tongue (as l is always pronounced in French, Italian, Spanish and German); dark l is pronounced with the middle of the mouth and tongue (but not, except in some dialects, virtually as a w as in Portuguese) and lasts longer:
Light l (beginning a syllable): prelíminary, lîght, clínk, líp, allót, flíp, alône, slêek. Dark l (ending a syllable): ålways, stíll, élse, ålso, dóll, fåll, ålter, fåult, píll, cråwl. Compare the two l sounds of Glenêagles; and of bléss and fâbles (*fâblz).
Medial double l is lighter in BrE than in AmE: fílling, téller, bállot, tåller, fållen, instílled.
In some varieties, Welsh English, for example, only light l is used.
Dark, doubled and final, -ll influences the sound of a preceding a: wåll, håll, tåll, åll, fåll, appåll (AmE; BrE appål), gåll, båll, ståll, cåll and måll - but not, strangely, in Páll Máll and the Máll .
But only one l, plus a consonant, is required in the middle of a word to produce å: fålter, ålter, hålt, hålter, althôugh (ål-), Wålter (cf. wåter), målt, scåld, ålder and the l for most speakers is rendered silent before k: wålk, tålk, chålk, bålk (also spelt båulk).
There can be a similar lengthening effect on ô before final -ll: pôll, tôll, rôll - but not in dóll, lóll or knóll. And also in gôld, tôld, hôld. For some speakers -ôl- has an ô sound that is more like ó plus ù than the normal schwa plus ù: such speakers will tend to distinguish Hôlmes from hômes.
Dark l can follow another single consonant to form a cluster without altering the long sound of the preceding vowel: âble, tâble, îdle, bûgle, nôble (cf. the double consonants in stráddle, ẁaddle, míddle, kéttle, píffle).
A diphthong ending with the sound í adds a schwa before final l, so that ŏil rhymes with lŏyal, and râil with betrâyal.
Final -le versus final -al:
Adjectives: mûsical, clássical, nåutical, cómical, cónical, particípial, príncipal (head = prínciple first, reason).
Nouns: prínciple (= príncipal), partíciple, pàrticle, fóllicle, múddle, púddle, cúddle, ẁaddle, dóddle, and mólecule.
Welsh double l sound
In Welsh names such as Llangóllen the ll has a special, voiceless pronunciation, IPA [ɬ], usually approximated in non-Welsh English as Cl- or Thl-.
-ôl
A common ending is -ôl, spelt thus in contrôl, but not in monosyllables, where there are several variants: bôwl, côal fire = Côle person, dôle (also Dôle person; cf. dóll), fôal, gôal, hôle, cajôle, Kôhl person, môle (cf. móll), knôll *nôle (cf. Knôwles person), ôle (informal variant of ôld), pôle wood = Pôle person = pôll vote (cf. Póll Polly), rôll round = rôle play, sôul spirit = sôle only, fish = tôll bell, vôle.
Anomalous pronunciation
In all standard pronunciations, whether rhotic (sounding r before a consonant) or not, cölonel army = kërnel nut. Thus in most of the USA, the first l in cölonel is pronounced as r.
Scientific uses
- L: electromagnetic inductance