Nucular

Categories: Sociolinguistics

Nucular is an intentional misspelling of the word nuclear which is usually intended to express contempt or amusement towards the commonplace [ˈn(j)uːkjə.lə(ɹ)] (in IPA) pronunciation of that word instead of [ˈn(j)uː.kli.ə(ɹ)] or [ˈn(j)uː.kli͡ə(ɹ)].

This pronunciation is especially common in the U.S. Southern states, and the pronunciation is a revealing cultural shibboleth.

It is disapproved of by some who consider it a mispronunciation, although the Merriam-Webster dictionary says: [1]

"Though disapproved of by many, pronunciations ending in [kjə.lə(ɹ)] have been found in widespread use among educated speakers including scientists, lawyers, professors, congressmen, U.S. cabinet members, and at least one U.S. president and one vice president. While most common in the U.S., these pronunciations have also been heard from British and Canadian speakers."

Merriam-Webster receives enough questions about their inclusion of this pronunciation in the dictionary that it is one of two pronunciations which receive particular mention in their FAQ (along with "February"). [2]

Contents

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Usage by world leaders

US Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush (but not his father, George H. W. Bush) have all allegedly used this pronunciation. Jimmy Carter in particular had served as an officer on the United States Navy's first experimental nuclear submarine, and would have been well exposed to both pronunciations.

It has been also used by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

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Phonotactical motivation

The reason why nuclear becomes nucular is founded in the phonotactics of the English language.

  1. By assimilation, the [kli.ər] sequence of the word [n(j)uː.kli.ər] becomes [kljər] in natural speech.
  2. The consonant cluster [klj] is strongly disfavoured in English: English stops are followed by one approximant at most.
  3. The disfavoured cluster [klj] is reduced. That reduction is achieved through metathesis ([l] and [jə] are swapped so that [kljər] becomes [kjəl(ə)r]).

This is probably influenced by other adjectives in the science technical terminology that end in -cular (molecular, particular etc.).

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Usage in popular entertainment

"Nucular" is also the pronunciation preferred by Homer Simpson, and his confident use of it in The Simpsons exemplifies a level of cultural information that is largely overheard at some distance, second-hand, rather than read.

Also the entire argument was parodied on one episode of Family Guy, in which Peter says to his wife, "Haha! You said nuclear, it's nucular dummy, the 's' is silent".

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References