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General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: Jimbee on 07/08/2025 20:09:36

Title: Does English Need Spelling Reform?
Post by: Jimbee on 07/08/2025 20:09:36

Spelling of English words is sometimes ridiculous (though French is more ridiculous in that IMHO). Spelling in English is kind of semi-phonetic. Not phonetic. They say it is the main barrier for people who have to learn English.

Is it time for spelling reform in English?

Title: Re: Does English Need Spelling Reform?
Post by: alancalverd on 07/08/2025 22:31:16

Many have tried and failed. French spelling is reasonably consistent, and German very phonetic, but English is a bastard language based on French, German, Gaelic, and anything useful culled from a vast empire, with spellings often traceable to Caxton's attempt to capture various dialects in print, so you'd have to rewrite the entire dictionary with spellings in one dialect - but which? 

Ze biggest problem zat most folks ave is to pronounce zis dipsong, followed by ze soft q in kvickly kvestioning a skvirrel, and ze aspirate   in  arry's  otel.

Bernard Shaw pointed out that ghoti is pronounced "fish" in English. Gh as in "cough", o as in "women", ti as in "motion".