The points made by Mr Frederickson are well taken by the English Spelling Society (www.spellingsociety.org), whose aims include the promotion of spelling reform.
English spelling is the most irregular of all the main alphabetic spelling systems. It contains a unique "double whammy". Not only is it impossible to spell correctly from the spoken word, but the written word doesn't always convey the correct pronunciation, because traditional English spelling allows certain letter patterns to represent more than one sound. The result of this serious departure from the alphabetic principle is a chaotic system that has rules but frequently fails to follow them, and entails significant economic and social costs. By way of example, in English-speaking countries, it can take schoolchildren up to three years longer to learn to read and write than in countries where other languages are predominant. Also, English-speaking dyslexics suffer disproportionately.
Spelling reform in any language takes a long time to achieve, because people are innately conservative about such matters, and the educational establishment even more so. It would be a significant step forward if a regularised English spelling system could form part of the "four in one" policy your correspondent advocates. Such a step would, I am sure, speed up the adoption of reform throughout the English-speaking world.
Stephen Linstead
Secretary, the English Spelling Society
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/02/06/spell-out-a-workable-system/
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