Nucular

''Nucular'' is a common, proscribed pronunciation of the word "nuclear". It is a rough phonetic spelling of . The ''Oxford English Dictionary''s entry dates the word's first published appearance to 1943.

Dictionary notes

This is one of two contentious pronunciations that receive particular mention in the FAQ of the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'':

Though disapproved of by many, pronunciations ending in \-kyə-lər\ have been found in widespread use among educated speakers, including scientists, lawyers, professors, congressmen, United States cabinet members, and at least two United States presidents and one vice president. While most common in the United States, these pronunciations have also been heard from British and Canadian speakers.

The ''American Heritage Dictionary'' notes:

The pronunciation (noo'kyə-lər), which is generally considered incorrect, is an example of how a familiar phonological pattern can influence an unfamiliar one ... incemuch more common is the similar sequence (-kyə-lər), which occurs in words like ''particular'', ''circular'', ''spectacular'', and in many scientific words like ''molecular'', ''ocular'', and ''vascular''.

The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' notes:

The colloquial pronunciation British /ˈnjuːkjʊlə/, U.S. /ˈn(j)ukjələr/ (frequently rendered in written form as ''nucular'' .. has been criticized in usage guides since at least the mid 20th century ..although it is now commonly given as a variant in modern dictionaries.

In his 1999 book ''The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations'', logophile Charles Harrington Elster wrote that the vast majority of those he spoke to while writing his book as well as 99% of the 1985 usage panel of Morris & Morris's ''Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage'' specifically condemned the use of the word and characterized it as a mispronunciation. Elster's own view on the matter derives from the root of the word: "''nucleus''". Arguing by analogy, Elster suggests that "''Molecular'' comes from ''molecule'', and ''particular'' comes from ''particle'', but there is no ''nucule'' to support ''nucular''." Elster, Charles Harrington. ''The Big Book Of Beastly Mispronunciations: The Complete Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker''. Houghton Mifflin. Pp.347-350. . 2006.

Notable users

The U.S. presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and vice president Walter Mondale used this pronunciation. Pinker, Steven. ''Pinker contra Nunberg re nuclear/nucular''. LanguageLog. http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=730 In his 2005 book ''Going Nucular'', linguist Geoffrey Nunberg suggested that the presidents' reasons for their differing pronunciations may be distinct. Whereas Eisenhower's pronunciation most likely arose from lack of familiarity (he first learned the word in midlife), Bush's usage may represent a calculated effort to appeal to populist sentiment, though Nunberg's theory here is rejected by linguist Steven Pinker. This analysis is repeated in the second edition of Elster's ''Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations''.

Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy used this pronunciation in a BBC documentary, and Orson Welles said "nucular" while speaking at the 1982 "No Nukes" rally in Central Park.

The nuclear physicist Edward Teller, "father" of the American hydrogen bomb, supposedly used "nucular", and it does have some currency in the American nuclear research establishment. But in a 1965 interview on Project Plowshare, Teller used the standard pronunciation.

The 17th U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, said "nucular" several times in his welcome remarks on February 5, 2025.

In popular culture

In popular culture, this pronunciation has often been used to signify inferiority, low intellect or foolishness.

In Woody Allen's 1989 film ''Crimes and Misdemeanors'', Mia Farrow's character says she could never fall for any man who says "nucular". The pronunciation is satirized in the 1996 science fiction film ''Mars Attacks!''. It is used earnestly by Indiana Jones in the 2008 film ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' after he survives an atomic bomb test by crawling inside a lead-lined refrigerator. In ''Get Smart'', also released in 2008, the President, a clear parody of George W. Bush, says "nucular", only for the exasperated Chief of CONTROL to loudly correct him.

In '' Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted'', Skipper corrects Gloria's standard pronunciation of the word "nuclear" to "nucular".

In Don Delillo's 1997 novel ''Underworld'', Marvin mentions nuclear weapons and it is said "He pronounced it nucular".

Homer Simpson (a nuclear power plant employee) of the American animated TV series ''The Simpsons'' and Peter Griffin of the animated comedy series ''Family Guy'' both say "nucular" (in these episodes, Homer and Peter both "correct" someone else's correct pronunciation of the word).

Motivation

Pinker has proposed a phonotactic explanation for the conversion of ''nuclear'' to ''nucular'': the unusual and disfavored sequence is gradually transformed to a more acceptable configuration via metathesis. But Arnold Zwicky notes that presents no difficulty for English speakers in words such as ''pricklier'' and deems the postulation of metathesis unnecessary. He suggests a morphological origin, combining the slang '' nuke'' with the common sequence ''-cular'' (''molecular'', ''particular'', etc.). Supporting Zwicky's hypothesis, Geoffrey Nunberg quotes a government weapons specialist: "Oh, I only say 'nucular' when I'm talking about nukes." Nunberg argues that this pronunciation by weapons specialists and by politicians such as Bush may be a deliberate choice. He suggests that the reasons for this choice are to assert authority or to sound folksy.

See also

* Bushism
* Political gaffe

References

{{reflist

English words and phrases
Nuclear energy