pronunciation - How to pronounce "halcyon"?


I grew up thinking this word was pronounced HALK-YON, having learned it from books and never hearing someone speak it. I recently heard somebody mention it for the first time, and they pronounced it HAL-SEE-ON.


Any insights? Wiktionary says maybe it is Latin for kingfisher.



Answer



Merriam-Webster: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halcyon


I've only ever heard it pronounced hal-see-uhn in English, and according to most dictionaries, it seems to be the only pronunciation option. It may have been anglicized from the Greek αλκυόνα, but it doesn't seem to have retained the 'k' pronunciation.


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