Whats the rule that makes "please" pronounced the same as "pleas"?
Last Updated: 01.07.2025 21:05
There's no rule.
What's (not “whats”) the rule?
Whence the <ea> I cannot say but some other words that were spelled <ai> in French are spelled <ea> in English: aise → ease, graisse → grease, fait → feat.
Paris Erupts in Celebrations, Riots After PSG Wins Champions League - WSJ
You'll usually find your answer there.
Words are pronounced the way that they're pronounced.
Please is an anglicization of the French word plaisir.
Oracle Stock Jumps On Earnings Beat, Upbeat Cloud Growth Forecast - Investor's Business Daily
If you're curious about why a word is spelled the way it's spelled, your first recourse should be etymonline dot com.
While you may reasonably ask why words are spelled the way they're spelled, it makes no sense to ask why they're pronounced the way they're pronounced.
Back in the day (circa 1300), it was written <plesen>.
Super Again: UNC Storms Past Oklahoma in NCAA Regional Finale - 247Sports
Pleas is spelled <pleas> because it's the plural of pleas.