In English, there are countless words that are misspelled because they sound like they should be spelled in a different way. One of these words is sergeant. Or is it sargant? Which is the correct spelling?
The only way to spell sergeant is with the “e” in the first syllable and the “ea” in the second one. Sargant is a common misspelling that does not mean sergeant. Sargant is a word you should never use to spell sergeant.
The rest of this article will cover why sergeant is correct, and why sargant is incorrect.
Why Sergeant Is Correct
When you pronounce “sergeant”, it sounds like the first syllable is a “sar”, and the second an “ant”. Thanks to this pronunciation, many believe the correct spelling of sergeant should include two a’s. However, this is incorrect and never the spelling you should use.
Another common misspelling is sargent, which is also not correct. The one and only correct spelling of sergeant has to include the “e” and the “ea”. You can abbreviate sergeant as “Sgt.”, and when it’s abbreviated, it’s pronounced the same.
Sergeant is a term referring to a non-commissioned officer that commands a squad in the army. There are sergeants in many armed forces such as the army and the police. In the police, sergeant is a rank where an officer oversees smaller departments.
Why Sargant Is Incorrect
Sargant is not a rank, but it is a surname. However, it’s a very uncommon surname because it comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. This name means a servant of the law, or a protector. It’s a very rare surname, which is why it’s not the correct spelling of sergeant.
It is true that sargant looks and sounds like sergeant, but the proper spelling flows better. Sargant comes from old versions of the English language. You can think of sergeant like the upgraded version of sargant, which remains a surname dating back to the Anglo-Saxon English era.
Sargant is believed to be of Latin origin with inspiration from early medieval English and Old French. It can be used as a surname or given name. However, it is only a name, and not a replacement for the word “sergeant”.
If you put “sargant” into a spell checker, it’ll tell you that it’s an incorrect spelling. Any spell checker will tell you that it needs to be changed to sergeant.
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