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MUSCOVITE Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary

tsar vs czar

Hi,

Which spelling do you think is used more often in modern AmEng?

Thank you

mus-te
  

Top answer

A search of COCA gives 260 tsars and 1374 czars. Of course, the latter can also refer to tycoons and criminal bosses, while the former is used only of Russian rulers.

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7 Answers
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A search of COCA gives 260 tsars and 1374 czars. Of course, the latter can also refer to tycoons and criminal bosses, while the former is used only of Russian rulers.
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Thanks, MM!

I also have a pronunciation question for you

(1) How would you pronounce the word 'czar'? Like [zar] or like [tsar]?
Or maybe this spelling allows either pronunciation?

I am confused here because:
(a) my Longman gives three possible spellings (czar, tzar, tsar) and two possible pronunciations [zar], [tsar], but it doesn't explain whether any of
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I've only ever heard "zar" in the US, regardless of spelling. To start a word "ts" is not an English sound. Even "tsunami" is pronounced "soo-NAH-mi" except by pedants.
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I say [za:r]. I think that 'czar' is the older spelling and that 'tsar' was later introduced to encourage English speakers to pronounce it more accurately as [tsa:r].

Just my opinion.
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enoonEven "tsunami" is pronounced "soo-NAH-mi" except by pedants.
'N' me.
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Mister Micawber enoonEven "tsunami" is pronounced "soo-NAH-mi" except by pedants.'N' me.
Well, you have the excuse of being almost Japanese.
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Mister Micawber:
enoon:
Thanks a lot!