Is there a Word Wheel for that one?

 

Yesterday, I did something silly.

I work for a company that builds event webpages for schools when they have their fundraisers, like jog-a-thon, spell-a-thon, Math-a-thon – basically anything with an “athon” behind it, they contact us.

I help with customer service when events are active, as well as, setting up new sites.  When we set up the site, the school’s logo is inserted.  This one was a Leopard.  However, when I first glanced at it, I kept pronouncing it (in my head) as

“Leo – Pard”  (wait! what? that doesn’t make sense. – looking again – clearing the cobwebs from the brain)

“Oh, it’s a big cat.  Leopard!”  DUH.

Taa Daa! The wonderful ME in my Leotard!

Then that got me to thinking, why (in the world?) would I absent-mindedly pronounce it that way?  Maybe because I don’t come across it that often, and because in Southern California, our big cat wildlife are Mountain Lions and Bob Cats.  So, when I wasn’t truly thinking about it, I pronounced like you would Leotard!  “Leo-tard.”

After laughing at myself, I began thinking WHY IS IT that Leotard and Leopard, with only 1 letter difference, are pronounced so differently?  I didn’t see that one on the word wheel.   No wonder English, as a second language, is so difficult to conquer.  Even those having it has their primary language can’t seem to master it.