English is hard. It’s so hard that even native English speakers have no idea why some of the rules exist which makes it even harder to explain to people learning English as a second language. Words that come to mind as confusing yet accepted as a rule are there, their, and they’re. They all sound the same but are spelled differently with completely different meanings.
The list of words that sound similar that have different spellings or meanings could stretch a metaphorical mile. It’s such a point of contention for English speakers that it’s not uncommon for them to rage post about it on social media. A man that goes by the name King Tut on Instagram compiles some of these frustrated posts and reads them leading to not only his own confusion but the confusion of others.
People just want English to make sense but the video he shared proves that no matter how much we complain, English will always be a little weird.
The creator opens the video reading the question, “why is naked pronounced naked but baked is not pronounced baked?” And if you speak English as your first language, you read that correctly without even trying and are likely confused on why it makes sense. Welcome to the club. It makes complete sense while simultaneously making no sense at all.
Yacht is a word filled with letters that don’t make the sounds we are taught that they make, which the man highlights by continually pronouncing the word the way it looks “ya-ca-tah” instead of “yawt.” People in the comments were quick to jump in with their own confessions and confusion.
“I’ve been confused but this confirms that it’s not my fault,” someone writes.
“English is that person that does whatever the hell it wants to do,” another says.
“Cause why is Meme pronounced Meme and not Me Me,” a commenter asks.
“Why does Know, Knit, Knight, Knife, all have Ks when we can’t pronounce the K? What it doing in there,” one person wants to know.
“I got points off my assignment for grammar because i said minute as in amount and my teacher read minute as in time,” someone else shares.
Whoever invented English, there are some people on the internet who would like to have a conversation with you. They have questions. A lot of questions.