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English colonel is pronounced the same as kernel. This seems odd, but there is an explanation. In many languages when a word contains two identical or similar sounds, one of these sounds will often change over a period of time. This kind of change is called dissimilation. So when the Italian word colonello was taken into French, it became coronel; and the word was borrowed by the English from the French in this form. Later the spelling colonel came to be used in order to reflect the Italian origin of the word. But by then the pronunciation with r was well established.
Examples of colonel in a Sentence
Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 25 June 2024
She could be seen wearing an Irish Guards regimental broach, a nod towards her role as their honorary colonel.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 15 June 2024
As the new honorary colonel of the Irish Guards, the 42-year-old mother of three was invited to attend the rehearsal, but instead sent a letter apologizing for her absence.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 10 June 2024
Atlas forces herself on a military space mission run by a no-nonsense colonel (Sterling K. Brown) to track down Harlan, but amid a sneak attack by cyborg bad guys, Atlas has to hop in a mech suit to survive.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for colonel 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colonel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Colonel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonel. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
an altered form of earlier coronel "colonel," from early French coronel (same meaning), from early Italian colonnello "colonel, column of soldiers," derived from Latin columna "column" — related to column
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