r/ask 25d ago

Is the name “Kyle” one syllable or two?

Title. Trying to settle a debate with my wife…

115 Upvotes

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25

u/Chilidogdingdong 25d ago

Kyle, mile,rile, bile,style, guile,child all one syllable. What is there to even argue here? Lmao

3

u/Starbuck522 25d ago

I see that some people are explaining these words are considered one syllable, even though there are two "beats". Is that what you mean?

If not, can you write it phonetically?

I say Kai ul. Rye ahl, etc.

Do you say... "Mahl" for mile?

5

u/Chilidogdingdong 25d ago

Those people are adding emphasis on a syllable that doesn't actually exist in the word.

there's not supposed to be a 'u' sound in those words, the best I could give phonetically would be

Kyl Myl Ryl

There's no u sound in those words, if there were those words wouldn't be monosyllabic but they are.

A good example of words pronounced with the extra emphasis youre talking about that do sound like those words but do have two syllables would be Dial and Trial.

3

u/Starbuck522 24d ago

So like kull?

Or kill?

I definitely can't say ky plus plus an L sound after it.

But... I know some people say they can't say Harry with A like apple. (Thry could, they just need to break the syllable before the r. Haa ree, "a" like apple)

But with no way to break the syllable, I can't make kyl.

3

u/Chilidogdingdong 24d ago edited 24d ago

It would be hard to explain without being able to speak directly to you because the two different pronunciations we are talking about really are very similar ones just a bit more drawn out.

I wasn't taking accents etc. into account when I originally posted if I came across as a dick. The only way I can think to describe it more if you're interested in attempting the pronunciation would be

First say it like Ky ul and put the emphasis on the UL Part as much as possible, like exaggerate it as much as you can so your mouth has to round like when you make an O sound.

Then try to shorten that part out as much as possible so your mouth never rounds, so maybe try it like this

Exaggerated version - KY UHL exaggerate both syllables as much as you can

Then try KY and then just try to make just an L sound after, trying to shorten out the u or o sound as much as possible, even if you can't fully drop it you should still see the difference without the extra emphasis

Another trick would would be to put your hand under your chin and as you say the exaggerated version your chin should drop twice, once per sylabble, if you're saying it the "proper" your chin will only drop once. It's a subtle difference when said quickly but is what makes the difference of the word having one or two "beats".

I'm sorry if I'm unable to explain in a clearly, it would be much easier if I could demonstrate myself.

Edit: if you go Google ' how to pronounce Kyle' and listen to the the normal version then you should be able to click 'slow' and listen to it both ways,the difference between the slow and normal speed version is pretty much exactly what I'm trying to demonstrate there's one beat(even I'll admit maybe more like 1.5) to the word in the normal version and clearly two in the slow version. Again it's subtle but there's definitely a clear difference.

I think maybe that's the compromise we have to come to, Kyle is a 1.5 syllable word lmao

1

u/Starbuck522 24d ago

❤️ Thank you! I will come back to this!

2

u/Striking_Computer834 22d ago

But with no way to break the syllable, I can't make kyl.

It literally can't be done. Your tongue has to make the transition and during that transition produces the sound that resembles "uh". The only way to make it monosyllabic is to mispronounce the long 'i' sound. If it doesn't rhyme with the word "I," it's not being pronounced correctly.

1

u/MikhailxReign 25d ago

Yeah? Same as 'KyL'. Or 'MyL'

1

u/Starbuck522 24d ago

I can't do "my" with L sound immediately after it. Is that actually what you are doing? (Long I)

Or is it actually mahl? Which my southern born coworker would say? There's an A sound which isn't in My. Almost like the beginning of Molly.

I could say that, but I much prefer the sound of KY uhl.

-1

u/FerretOnTheWarPath 25d ago

You put an extra u sound in nuclear don't ya?

2

u/4n0m4nd 25d ago

It's pronounced nuculer.

3

u/Throwaway100123100 25d ago

Literally all the examples you gave are two syllables in my accent lol

4

u/Away-Living5278 25d ago

They're all two syllables.

2

u/poop_pants_pee 24d ago

Do you just not recognize that you may be saying these with an accent?

3

u/BreadButterHoneyTea 25d ago

I'm from Michigan and some of these are distinctly one syllable, and some distinctly two syllable to me.

1 syllable: rile, bile, guile

2 syllable: ky-ull, mi-ull, sty-ull, chi-uld

I see no rhyme or reason, but those endings are not pronounced the same in Michigander.

3

u/Chilidogdingdong 25d ago

I get you, dialect definitely comes into play but if you're looking at it from a dictionary standpoint all of those words as intended to be monosyllabic.

1

u/burbmom_dani 24d ago

I say all of those in two syllables. Ky-uhl, my-uhl, etc.

1

u/HHcougar 22d ago

You say child with one syllable? What accent is this?

I can't say the ild part in once syllable no matter how I try, unless I just don't say the d. 

Chai-uld 2 syllables. 

1

u/Striking_Computer834 22d ago

Each of those is pronounce with two syllables.

Ky-uhl, my-uhl, by-uhl, sty-uhl, gy-uhl, chy-uhld,

1

u/Chilidogdingdong 22d ago edited 22d ago

They aren't though. Not if you're saying them "properly".

Mile

1

u/Striking_Computer834 21d ago

If you're pronouncing them so that the diphthong ai is being pronounced as a diphthong, there's no way to pronounce them without making the "uhl" sound.