I get a bit confused: is it reisling or riesling, or is there some subtle difference between the two?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
I'm glad you asked, since flipping the "i" and "e" in certain words is a common occurrence with English speakers. The result in terms of pronunciation is - or at least should be - totally different. To take the example of the noble grape variety you mention, which is of German origin, if the word would be spelled (incorrectly) as "Reisling" the phonetic result would be "Ryez-ling." With the i and e in the right positions, the word is spelled Riesling and is properly pronounced Reez-ling in accordance with standard German usage. To be absolutely clear, there is only one true grape variety bearing this name, not two with subtly different names.
