Rhyme or reason?
Which sentences are correct?
- As a kid, I loved rainbow sherbet.
- As a kid, I loved rainbow sherbert.
- The orangutan is the only Asian great ape.
- The orangutang is the only Asian great ape.
- The Ku Klux Klan was founded in late 1865.
- The Klu Klux Klan was founded in late 1865.
- His energy and her calm balance each other like yin and yang.
- His energy and her calm balance each other like ying and yang.
The correct sentences are A, C, E, and G.
Why do we get them wrong?
Plain and simple, we’re suckers for a pattern. Subconsciously, we “fix” words to make them more balanced, rhythmic, and easier to pronounce.
Take sherbet. We add an extra “r” to get “sherbert,” matching the second syllable to the first to produce friendlier sound and spelling patterns, as in the name Herbert.
We do the same with orangutan. By adding an extra “g” to the end, we align it with the familiar –ang family of terms (e.g., bang, clang, fang) and create an internal rhyme—orang-utang—that’s hard to resist.
And we commonly add an “l” (ell) to the first syllable of Ku Klux Klan because “Klu Klux Klan” satisfies our craving for symmetry.
English speakers are also fond of reduplicatives, sing-song word pairs such as ping pong or hocus pocus. We follow the same kind of sound pattern when we change yin and yang to “ying and yang,” forcing a mismatched pair to rhyme.
Fighting these habits can be a struggle. I know the correct spelling of sherbet, but the correct pronunciation sounds off-balance without the extra “r.” And if the spelling of sherbet is like that of sorbet—a similar frozen dessert—why don’t the two words rhyme? (Answer: different origins—sorbet is a French term; sherbet is Persian and Turkish.)
The best course of action is simply to bite the bullet and learn the proper spellings and pronunciations. It’s a constant tug-of-war between the rules and a compulsion for symmetry, rhythm, and ease of pronunciation. You may never stop trying to rhyme yin with yang—but at least now you know why.
