A viscount is a British nobleman ranking below an earl and above a baron. The full order, from the top down, is duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron — so a viscount sits fourth of five. He is addressed as Lord plus his title: Viscount Astor is spoken of as Lord Astor.

A viscount is a British nobleman ranking below an earl and above a baronviscount 是英國貴族的一個等級位在 earl 伯爵之下、baron 男爵之上 The full order, from the top down, is duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron完整順序由高到低是 duke 公爵、marquess 侯爵、earl 伯爵、viscount 子爵、baron 男爵 so a viscount sits fourth of five所以 viscount 是五等裡的第四等 He is addressed as Lord plus his title他的稱呼方式是 Lord 加上他的頭銜 Viscount Astor is spoken of as Lord Astor例如 Viscount Astor 會被稱作 Lord Astor

The first thing to fix is the sound. Viscount is pronounced "VY-count" — the s is completely silent, and the first part rhymes with "my". This trips up almost every learner, and it trips up plenty of native speakers too, because the spelling gives no warning at all.

The first thing to fix is the sound第一件要搞定的事是發音 Viscount is pronounced "VY-count"viscount 唸作 VY-count the s is completely silent中間的 s 完全不發音 and the first part rhymes with "my"前半部跟 my 押韻 This trips up almost every learner這常常讓學習者唸錯 and it trips up plenty of native speakers too也常常讓不少母語人士唸錯 because the spelling gives no warning at all因為拼法完全看不出這個規律

The title also has a second life outside the peerage: the eldest son of an earl or a marquess often uses one of his father's lesser titles as a courtesy title, and that is frequently a viscountcy. So a man called Viscount So-and-so in a newspaper may be an heir, not a peer in his own right.

The title also has a second life outside the peerage這個頭銜在貴族體系之外還有另一種用法 the eldest son of an earl or a marquess often uses one of his father's lesser titles as a courtesy title伯爵或侯爵的長子常會借用父親的一個較低頭銜當作禮貌頭銜 and that is frequently a viscountcy而這個頭銜常常就是子爵 So a man called Viscount So-and-so in a newspaper所以報紙上被稱作 Viscount 某某的人 may be an heir, not a peer in his own right可能只是繼承人而不是本身就擁有爵位的貴族

For most learners the word arrives through history books, period drama, and news about the House of Lords. It is not a word you need in daily life, but it is one you need to recognise and, above all, to pronounce.

For most learners the word arrives through history books, period drama, and news about the House of Lords對大多數學習者來說這個字多半是從歷史書、古裝劇、和上議院新聞裡認識的 It is not a word you need in daily life這不是日常生活會用到的字 but it is one you need to recognise and, above all, to pronounce但你需要認得它、更重要的是要會唸