Decoding the letter L

l

love /lʌv/

The letter L, lower case l (pronounced /el/) normally represents IPA phoneme /l/. For examples see IPA phoneme /l/.

In several cases "l" is silent, and in some cases it modifies the sound of the previous vowel.

• "al" as /ɔː/: talk - walk
• "al" as /ɑː/: almond - balm - palm - psalm
• "al" as /ɑː/^BrE or /æ/:^AmE calf - half
• "al" as /æ/: salmon /ˈsæmən/ but salmonella /sælməˈnelə/
• "ol" as /əʊ/: folklore - Sherlock Holmes - Stockholm /ˈstɒk həʊm, ˈstɒk həʊlm/
• "ol" as /ə/: Lincoln. cf. Linkin Park
• "oul" as /ʊ/: could - should - would

Double l

Normally "ll" represents /l/, as in will, really, follow.

"ll" as /ll/ in two different syllables

• wholly /ˈhəʊlli, ˈhəʊli/
• goalless - soulless - wheelless

Spelling anomalies

• colonel /ˈkɜːrnəl/
• tortilla /tɔːrˈtiːə/

Homophones

• colonel - kernel

In General American: balm - bomb

See also

• Decoding exercises: "al"
• Decoding exercises: /əʊl/