Am I the only one who didn't know how to pronounce fresnel? Apparently the s is silent. Say fray-nel with the accent on the 2nd syllable. Or is it supposed to be freh-nel with a short e sound on the first syllable?

Lets get the frez out of Fresnel.

http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=fresnel

click the little red speaker icon next to the work......

hope this helps.

fray-nel , I like freznal better

Anyone on the forum from Fresno, (fray-no) California?

When referring to the scientist the proper pronunciation of Fresnel is 'Fraynel'; it was his name after all. When referring to the lens the pronunciation 'freznel' is accepted. Like many foreign words the pronunciation has become westernized.

Main Entry: Fres·nel lens
Pronunciation: 'frez-n&l-, frA-'nel-
Function: noun
Etymology: Augustin J. Fresnel
: a lens that has a surface consisting of a concentric series of simple lens sections so that a thin lens with a short focal length and large diameter is possible and that is used especially for spotlights


From: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

I know it was a joke, but yes, as a matter of fact, I am from Fresno. I live in Oklahoma now, but I grew up in Fresno. Never called it Freyno though...