Hyphenation of "balaclava"


Balaclava is hyphenated as:



  • bal-a-cla-va, according to the online edition of Merriam-Webster

  • ba-la-clava, according to the 1989 printed fourth edition of Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, p. 77


Which one is correct in British English? If there is a difference with the American English, which one is correct in American English?



Answer



The MacMillan Dictionary provides an audio file of both the British, and the American pronunciation.


In my opinion, the first hyphenation, the Merriam-Webster hyphenation is more of the American pronunciation style, whereas the British pronunciation is closer to the hyphenation style of the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.


Thus, out of the two examples you gave, the second is correct UK-English, while the first is correct US-English.


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