why is the word lieutenant pronounced leftenant in the british army?
In English the word is pronounced lef-TEN-ant, except in American English in which it is loo-TEN-ant. However, the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth navies traditionally pronounced the word as l’TEN-ant, though increasing usage of the usual pronunciation has all but extinguished this version. The American pronunciation was originally the same as the British, but by the end of the 19th century had almost completely been replaced by the current pronunciation. In Canada and New Zealand lef-tenant is standard for all branches of the Armed Forces and for other usages such as lieutenant governor or Quebec lieutenant. Australia follows the British system, with the Royal Australian Navy officially using the different pronunciation. The English pronunciation was prevalent during the 14th and 15th centuries with the word being variously spelled as lieftenant, lyeftenant or luftenant. It may have originated from a mistaken reading of the ‘u’ as a ‘v’, lev-tenant eventually becoming lef-tenant. So
