Colonel → Ker-nel#

The crime: Spelled like “col-o-nel.” Pronounced like “kernel.” These are not the same word.

The fix: Ker-nel

Why it’s a disaster: English borrowed this from French coronel, which itself was borrowed from Italian colonnello. Then somewhere along the way the French started pronouncing it “kernel” — and English kept the Italian spelling but adopted the French pronunciation. The result is a word that requires a footnote just to read aloud.

Verdict: A five-part documentary would not be enough. This word is the final boss of English spelling.