Does anyone pronounce "foul" and "fowl" with one syllable, as a dictionary says they are pronounced? I find it impossible to fully pronounce these words in less than two syllables. As I pronounce them, they are exact rhymes with "vowel" and "towel." If I try to pronounce foul/fowl in one syllable, I find myself trying to imitate a Southern accent. The same applies to words "oil, boil, coil, foil, moil, roil, soil, toil." Part of the problem here is that I don't have a clear idea of what constitutes a syllable.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY)
Note from KBJ: You are not allowed to split infinitives on my blog, Mark. Don't let it happen again.
