Why do Brits pronounce Clerk Clark?

In the 18th century, AH says, people began “r”-dropping in southern England and “clerk” came to be pronounced klak. This pronunciation spread to educated speakers elsewhere and you're likely to hear it today on the BBC. (With a broad “a” and the “r” muted, it sounds almost like “clock.”)

Why do the British say Clark instead of clerk?

Clark, which is a British surname came from clerk, meaning scribe or secretary. English is ever-changing and growing but the spellings of words generally stay the same. Clerk, was no doubt how it was spoken back in the day but since Clark is spoken more often it has become the habit.

Is it Clark or clerk in the UK?

Later, when people began to "drop their r's" in the dialects of southern England during the 18th century, clerk came to be pronounced (kläk), with a long vowel (ä), as it is still pronounced in the Received Pronunciation of clerk in the United Kingdom.

Is it ward clerk or clark?

Hospital ward clerks are also known as medical secretaries. Hospital ward clerks work in a hospital or medical clinic. They perform administrative tasks, such as updating and storing patient files or retrieving files for medical staff.

What does clerk mean in the UK?

A clerk is a person who works in an office, bank, or law court and whose job is to look after the records or accounts.

How to Pronounce Clerk

How do British pronounce pastor?

2 syllables: "PAA" + "stuh"

What is the rule for pronunciation in British English?

Is it Clark or Clarke?

Clark is the 25th most popular surname in the United States and the 34th most common in England. Clarke, with an "e," is actually more common in England - coming in as the 23rd most popular surname. It is also a very common name in Scotland (14th) and Ireland.

How much does an NHS ward clerk earn?

How much does a Ward Clerk at NHS make? The typical NHS Ward Clerk salary is £18,671 per year. Ward Clerk salaries at NHS can range from £15,150 - £25,200 per year. This estimate is based upon 85 NHS Ward Clerk salary report(s) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods.

Why is it called a clerk?

History and etymology

The word clerk is derived from the Latin clericus meaning "cleric" or "clergyman", which is the latinisation of the Greek κληρικός (klērikos) from a word meaning a "lot" (in the sense of drawing lots) and hence an "apportionment" or "area of land".

What is the meaning of Clark in office?

a person who works in an office, dealing with records or performing general office duties.

What is the vowel sound of clerk?

The traditional British pronunciation is with the same vowel sound as that in 'car', 'park' and 'dark', IPA: /klɑː^rk/. This is shown in the spelling of the American forename 'Clark': Americans pronounce clerk to rhyme with 'work', or 'jerk', IPA: /klɜː^rk/.

What does Clark mean?

Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland clericus meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated.

How do you say water in British accent?

In this short pronunciation video, we will look at how to pronounce "water" in American, British, and Australian English. American English speakers typically say "waw-ter," while British English speakers say "wot-er." Australian English speakers say "wadder."

Why do the British not pronounce the letter R?

This split between rhotic and non-rhotic pronunciation has its origins in London in the 1850s. Working-class speakers began dropping the /r/ sound at the ends of words. Back then, this was considered lazy, vulgar and an undesirable way of speaking.

How do Australians pronounce clerk?

Break 'clerk' down into sounds: [KLAAK] - say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.

How do you pronounce the word jerk?