Ah well, when you go making exceptions......
No way, no how am I recording my voice saying anything, I sound like a transatlantic munchkin wearing a too-tight corset. But I say Nyew-clear. Or I used to. I tend to use the American "n" sound these days for words like news and tuna and nuclear. And my speech is slower, hence the 1.5 syllables joke. Half the time I can't remember how I say things any more. It's a tough life being an expat with a wandering diction!
But I do know what syllables are, and I do know that their length has nothing to do with it ,and I do know that I used to say nuclear with two syllables, and so did everyone I knew, and I still read it with two syllables. So it has two freaking syllables. :p
I do not play a phonologist on TV, but I have spoken with many accents, most of them British
As for dipthongs -isn't that what strippers wear?
Is that overkill on the smileys?