Ideal
In Southern and Appalachian speech, ideal is often used in place of idea. The added "l" sound gives it the local flavor of i-dee-uhl - a familiar feature of rural and small-town pronunciation.
synonyms: idea, notion, thought, plan
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I've heard 'ideal' in place of 'idea' all my life - it's a common one down here. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I've heard 'ideal' in place of 'idea' all my life - it's a common one down here. Pronunciation
[ah-DEE-uhl]
/aˈdiːəl/
/aˈdiːəl/
Meaning & Usage
- A thought, notion, or plan (noun - dialect form of "idea")
Mae:
Whose ideal was it to move the couch by yourself?
Whose ideal was it to move the couch by yourself?
Bud:
Mine - and it weren’t a good one.
Mine - and it weren’t a good one.variations: i-dee-uhl, ideel, idea (standard form)
★ If you hear "that’s a good ideal," don’t correct ’em - they just think different sounds make better sense. ★
Origin and Etymology
The shift from "idea" to "ideal" likely arose from vowel smoothing and an added -l sound in Southern English pronunciation. Similar patterns appear in Scots-Irish and early colonial English influences that shaped Southern speech. The form has been heard across the South since at least the early 1900s.
Usage Notes
Usually spoken in informal settings and rarely written down. The pronunciation varies by region:
- i-dee-uhl - most common modern Southern pronunciation
- ah-dee-uhl - deeper drawl form in rural areas
- i-dee-uh - standard English form