[etni] Fw: re: The strange language of English...
----- Original Message ----- From: Shah N. Khan - shah1936@xxxxxxxxx 
Subject: Re: The strange language of English...

English has one of the worst spelling systems of any language on
Earth (see The Chaos at).
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/misspelling.html
The correspondence between sound and spelling in English is not phonetically exact because spelling changes did not keep pace with changes in the sound system after the development of printing and of conventions for spelling. For example, the k in knife and the gh in right are relics of the Middle English period (from about 1100 to about 1500), when they were pronounced as separate sounds. Second, some imported spelling conventions persist.
American English developed its own spelling conventions, largely as a result of the work of spelling reformer Noah Webster. Webster attempted to remove some of the irregularities from the English spelling system and distance American English from British English. But still many conflicting combination continue to be in vogue. There is a spelling reformers' society but it is getting little support. 

Shah N. Khan


Henry wrote:

Hi there ETNIERS:
I must say that I have strong feelings of support for all you teachers of

English. I was wondering how you cope with the following phenomenon: There
are many (quite common) words in the English language in which their
spelling is contrary to the way the word is pronounced. Here are some
examples of what I mean, 'off the top of my head'. I shall include the
pronunciation for the benefit of those who are not English experts.
balm [barm], buoyant [ boyant], cabaret [ cabaray], calm [carm], column
[kollum], cough [ koff], crumb [krum], damn [dam], diaphragm [diafram],
doubt [dowt], fasten [farsen], gnat [nat], gnome [nome], guinea [ginnee],
hasten [haisen], honor [onner], hymn [ him], knapsack [napsack], knee [nee],
knight [nite], knit [nit], listen [lissen], numb [ num], phlegm [flem],
pneumatic [numatic], psychology [sykology], receipt [reseet], rheumatic [
roomatik], straight [strait], subtle [suttle], thistle [thissle], though
[tho], thumb [thum], thyme [time], tomb [toom], whistle [wissle]. wrap [
rap], wrinkle [rinkle]
In some cases the letter is not pronounced at all and in others, the sound
is changed. I was wondering whether, as teachers of English, if you allot
any time to a discussion of this phenomenon. Also, is there a collection of
these inconsistencies on the Internet?


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