Apparently, "cities" in the UK are officially-designated, and Crewe doesn't make the list. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_status_in_the_United_Kingdom
There's no book called Kings in the Bible. There are two book, First Kings and Second Kings, which therefore both have more than one syllable. And I still don't buy the argument that Laos is one syllable (though I know there's an argument).
Actually, Kings was one book originally. Kings was split in two for easier printing in 1517 and was originally only used by Protestant Bibles, although Catholic Bibles later adopted the change. Kings is still a single book in the Hebrew Tenach.
Kings absolutely should not count. If it said books of the Hebrew scriptures, sure, since it's one book there. But in Christian bibles, 1 Kings and 2 Kings are separate books and are pronounced, respectively, with 2 syllables and 3 syllables.
Also, Joel is definitely two syllables (at least in the US), unless you are being lazy.
Me, too. I find it weird that this is even a debate. A quick internet search suggests that most dictionaries show it as two syllables, while most people seem to say it as one. Very odd. I always think of it as two, just said rather quickly. One syllable sounds very weird to my ear. I work with a Joel, who is Latino, and he pronounces it as two syllables, but with a "y" sound: Yo-El.
It's often pronounced quickly but there's almost always a minor shift in the syllable before the L, even if a slight, barely aspirated W sound. People may never say Jo-ell like they do the Christmas Noel, but a flat Jole like role would sound like someone just kidding around.
I got almost everything... but none of the UK cities. If it's not London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, or Belfast, there's really no reason for a North American to have heard of it.
Oh please. "There's really no reason for a North American to have heard of it"? As an American, it's really ok, and dare I say useful, to learn about cities in the UK (or anywhere) other than major ones. Do you think people get an accurate understanding of the USA if all they know about are things in NYC, LA, Chicago, and Miami?
I'm American and I knew them all except Wells, even though I somehow missed seeing the last blank, so I missed York, too. Never heard of Wells,tbough. I've heard of Tunbridge Wells, but not just Wells.
Please refrain from adding Trump until he is sworn in on Jan. 20 to allow all the little snowflakes more time to seek safe places and mourn. Jeez, can't even take a trivia quiz without the wailing and whining.
Trump isn't technically president YET. I know some president quizzes have already added him, but they really shouldn't. Wait till it's officially official.
For some reason I feel it should said Bush twice. Both were often enough referred to just as "George Bush". Or "President Bush". Not sure I ever heard "President Bush Junior".
I've always pronounced it Lo - me, or low may. But I have no authority for this, maybe it is pronounced like loam?
I think you have something here. I just checked two sources that pronounce it as one syllable, like Rome. Although there is an accent over the "e", both videos pronounced it with one syllable.
Not sure what videos you're referencing, but the accent should mean it's pronounced as two syllables. Same deal with Male (capital of the Maldives). Though that didn't stop me from trying it in desperation lol.
Lome , Joel and Noel are pronounced as two syllables if pronounced correctly (non-American pronunciations). Laos is one syllable because the "s" is silent, as in Marseilles.
So it's pronounced Mar-ay then :-)? Seriously, how does the presence of an s sound influence the number of syllables - it would just make it "louse" if it weren't silent, surely?
Neither in English nor in Hebrew is JOEL pronounced as one syllable. It's two, and that several people here actually attest that their children are named Joel with one syllable is ASTOUNDING. Can you do that? Is it even possible? Crazy, crazy.
@Marvo In my experience as a speaker of English in the USA, Joel is indeed pronounced as a single syllable. I'm curious as to where you are from that you think it is such an outrageous notion.
What about Kiev/Kyiv? Now that the impeachment proceedings in the House have popularized the common Ukrainian monosyllabic pronunciation (KEEV), as opposed to the more common Western (key-EV) (mis?)pronunciation, does it not belong?
Also, Joel is definitely two syllables (at least in the US), unless you are being lazy.
Er, sorry, Kyiv.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8kkbc2pK6M
Sounds like two syllables to me.
I think you have something here. I just checked two sources that pronounce it as one syllable, like Rome. Although there is an accent over the "e", both videos pronounced it with one syllable.