Can you Spell?

There is a society in the UK that seems to think that we need to re-evaluate the way we spell words, to make it easier for people that can't spell things correctly to spell them as they will be spelt the way they are pronounced. The problem being, how many people are going to have to re-learn what they already know, just becaus of some useles bloody loonies?Read the full article here!
Masha Bell cites precedent from the 17th Century when a lot of English words were trimmed of the excess letters (usually the "e", as in OLDE) But one has to think, how many people could read/write/spell in the 17th Century? I believe only the privileged few could afford to be tutored. Now, compare that to today, when English is studied all over the world, not just in England/America. Big difference!

I guess that society never heard of phonics.

Off the cuff, I'll make spelling and grammatical errors. I can hit all the right notes when I need to. I hope they don't switch up on me. I have no preference for english v. american spelling, but it seems quite an inconvenience.

Jackie T

With all due respect to the millions of people with English as a first language who can't string a coherent sentence together without using their cellphone keypad, this idea is more absurd than the Slug Balancing Act.

Aside from those with dyslexia, people can't spell because they're not trying. Period. English is one of the easiest written languages, as we don't have the complexities of gender, verb classes, accents and diacritics. If people learn English as a second language their primary language is almost always more complex in written form, and they consistently score better on spelling than native-speakers, simply because they take the effort. English is also one of the most abusable languages, which means grammar and spelling errors are often ignored because 'people will get what I mean'.

US vs UK spelling is fine - the languages separated centuries ago, and so evolved a little - the same happens today with new words between the English and Welsh (the Welsh for 'ambulance' is 'ambiwlans' as their written alphabet is forced phonetic, so the English word would have to be pronounced 'am bull an kee'.

If you can't manage a language with less than 50 characters and blame it on the sheer human effort your brain has to make, then feel a moment for the Japanese. 28,000 characters and counting, three alphabets and multiple pronunciations of each character. Oh, and a better average literacy at 16 than in the USA.

(yes, this subject irks me..)

and to prove how amazingly abusable English can be.. here's my post again. Most of you will be able to read it without much effort at all...


Wtih all due repcest to the miollnis of ppeloe with Egnlish as a fisrt lgunaage who can't srntig a cnoeerht scennete thgeeotr woihtut unsig teihr chleonlpe keaypd, this ieda is mroe arsbud than the Sulg Bilanancg Act.

Aside from tohse with dyixslea, polpee can't splel bucaese they're not tiyrng. Proied. Eiglsnh is one of the esesiat wttiern lanagegus, as we don't hvae the cpiolmetxeis of gedner, vreb ceslsas, acncets and diiactrcis. If polpee laren Eginslh as a scnoed lunggaae tiehr priarmy lganugae is aoslmt alayws mroe cmleopx in weirttn from, and they cetnsointsly scroe btteer on snlpeilg tahn nvitae-srkeepas, spimly bsecaue tehy take the efroft. Esilngh is also one of the msot asalbube lngaugeas, wihch mnaes garmamr and slipnleg errors are otefn inogred buaecse 'ploepe wlil get waht I maen'.

US vs UK spllneig is fine - the lageugans sreaaetpd crieutens ago, and so elvevod a lltite - the smae hapnpes tdaoy wtih new wodrs bweeetn the Enilgsh and Wsleh (the Wlseh for 'amclunabe' is 'awianlmbs' as tiher wietrtn aalbhpet is frecod pinetohc, so the Eisnglh word wulod hvae to be pcnoeornud 'am bull an kee'.

If you can't maagne a lgugnaae with lses tahn 50 cchaearrts and blame it on the seehr hamun efofrt yuor brian has to make, tehn feel a menmot for the Jnpsaeae. 28,000 cacrhtraes and ciuotnng, three athlpbaes and mitullpe pnrintunoacios of each ctahrecar. Oh, and a bteetr aravege lritacey at 16 than in the USA.

Mindgames, im far more puzzled as to why you took the time to do that, than from the fact that i can, and did read all that as fluently as if it were all correct

I used this little Flash applet we've had on our workstations for years - mostly used to print lyric cribs for singers with ego issues. It shuffles everything except the first and last letters of each word.

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Originally Posted by Mindgames

the Wlseh for 'amclunabe' is 'awianlmbs'

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I'll take your word for it!

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Originally Posted by Mindgames

Aside from those with dyslexia, people can't spell because they're not trying.

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I'm dyslexic, but I still put huge amount of effort into my spelling and grammar - so much so that no one at work actually knows that I'm dyslexic. The only time I'm not constantly checking my spelling is in IM, with friends who can either understand or laugh about it with me.

There's really no excuse for poor spelling.

Kat - agreed, wasn't intending to imply anything by my post - in fact having an issue with reading can make people far better in the long term as they learn to think more about the language structure. Sadly though there are still people who use dyslexia as an 'excuse badge' irrespective of if they've actually got the condition or not. Of course the biggest excuse these days is "the spellchecker was wrong".

I'm all for marking of exams at all levels to take more account of spelling and grammar - right now you have to put in the effort in grade school, but once you hit college people only care about what you mean, not how you write it down. Somehow i don't think the declaration of independence would have the same weight had it started off with

"Liek, we beleive dudes and dudesses are so on a leval, fosho. Respekt"

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Originally Posted by Mindgames

and to prove how amazingly abusable English can be.. here's my post again. Most of you will be able to read it without much effort at all...

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that's not a reflection on english. It's just part of the brain function that is genetic in humans which gives them the abilty to perceive and translate visual things into sounds and vice versa. consider baby talk. It just seems weird to us because we are used to such a complicated and calculated language that it doesn't seem to make sense that we could understand apparent nonsense, but it all reverts back to the primative.