Dodging the potholes on the road to spelling reform - indexhttp://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/ssn-oct2K.htm
Simpl Speling*  Newsletter - Web Edition .
.Last Update:  September 26, 2000 .OCTOBER, 2000           Spelling Index .
                             An Electronic pre-print of the bimonthly newsletter of the Simplified Spelling Society
 

 
 


http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/ssn-oct2K.htm
Spelling on the Net
Spelling on the Net with Steve Bett october, 2000

Topics

Is stress phonemic?

If stress is fonemic, then Truespel could build a stronger argument for representing stress patterns in the notation.  At the current time, all we can say is that when stress is irregular and unmarked, there is a chance that the word might be mispronounced.  It is a big step from mispronunciation to misinterpretation.  The issue is clouded by the fact that most candidates for a critical pair are not spelled the same. e.g., [abbot abut] [desert dessert] [differ difer] [   ]. [more
 
where stress changes the meaning of a word
spanglish
traditional
truespel
aeb't  'abvt abbot abut abaat, ubbut
desrt  d'srrt 
desert dessert
desert dessert
dyfr   d'frr 
differ  differ
difur  diffur
f used to be v and f, s used to be s and z. v=u as in guru [more saxonisms]

The spelling pronunciation [SP] approach is based on the idea that mispronunciation is OK as long as it does not result in misunderstanding.  Pronouncing rather [raedhr] as raathr or rothr [ro:dhr  -raw-dher] or rhyming father and bother does not cause any misinterpretation or miscommunication problems.  According to the SP principle, such words do not need to be respelled. [brit-american differences]

Spelling Pronunciation [SP] is a difficult concept for most

Given the number of exchanges on the discussion groups, pronouncing words as they are spelled or SP seems to mean quite different things to different people. English speakers are not used to pronouncing words exactly as they are spelled and when they try it there is a wide variety of translations. Today's spelling pronunciation is not uniform across dialects.  If there was a functional alphabet, however, uniformity would be  possible. Knowing the alphabet would then include knowing what two sounds are associated with each letter.

For spelling pronunciation to work, everyone has to refer to the same alphabet or grapheme phoneme correspondence table.  The alphabet project is an attempt to build such a set of letter - sound correspondences.  The goal is to have no more than two correspondences per letter. [more]  -- 

The spelling pronunciation proposal is to use TES [or a regularized version of the traditional orthography] as the base pronunciation. Spelling pronunciation will distort the pronunciation of English, it will result in a new dialect of English.  In one sense, everyone will have to learn that dialect in order to be able to sound out words and to spell.  'I want to go to the store  becomes: "['i] or [i:] waant taw gaw taw dheh stor-ruh." 

Alfabet restoration project posts draft

Reducing the number of orthographic options in English spelling is the objective of the alphabet project.  TES the traditional English writing system, represents each sound over 14.7 different ways (Dewey, 1971).  The typical sound, however, is spelled one of four different ways 75% of the time.  Except for the code overlaps, reducing orthographic options to four is not that hard.  Getting it down to two is a challenge.

The top candidate for restoration is a variant of the old Saxon augmented Latin alphabet.  The Latin or continental sound values are about the only ones that work with diphthongs and blends. The New Spelling digraphs [ae, ie, ue] have to be treated as unique symbols.  Saxon digraphs [ei ai yu] can be reduced to the sound values of their component letters.  [matrix] [course] [saxon] [lettermatrix]
 
Letters and Associated Sounds
Letter
lst sound
2nd sound
3rd saund
overlaps
combination
R-com
a
/a:/  alms
'a   /'/  up
ae   ash at
ae, 'a, ei, o
ai, au, aw
ar  are
e
e   /e/
ey/ei
'e, 'er
'r  'a
ei ew eu eau
/er/ eric, air 
i
/I/ bit, ill
/i:/ beat, eel
/ai/  my mice
schwa-schwi
ia iu via few
ir /ir/  ear
o
awe
owe
haat  hot
au, ou, aa
ow, oa
or  ow'r
u
guru pool
put book
up cut
u, ^, 3:  w
 ou
ur  tour
b
/b/ bib
/v/
/p/ 
debt
bl, bq, br
b'rg  berg
c
/k/
/s/ circl
ch /tsh/ cello
k, s, ch, sh
ci, ce, ca, co
c'rd curd
d
/d/
/dh/
t
dh
da de di du
d'r'abl 
f
/f/
/v/
--
v
fif of ofn
f'r 

Obfuscation in representation

There are three vowels in English that are totally confused.  The code overlaps are
complete, TES uses the same letters to represent totally different sounds.  See "How
many ways can you spell DAY www.vicotian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/ei-9ways.html

All reform notations (except cut spelling)  eliminate the ambiguity but they do it in
two different ways.  One sticks with the original Latin conventions the other opts
for the shifted values unique to English.  The difference between the two approaches
shows up in the diphthongs.  With an IPA/Latin based correspondences, the component
letters in the digraph can be pronounced.  This is not possible with shifted sounds: e.g.,
ie is a unique symbol with no clear connection to the sounds of the component letters.
[see Is English dyslexic?]
 
Traditional
they
say
eye
aye
sir
Spanglish
they
sey sæy
ai  'I
ai  'y
s'r
IPA
ðei
sei
ai
ai  'i
s'' s3:
Winglish
dei
sei
ai
ai
sr
Iqliz
de
se
'i
'i  'i
s'r
RITE spel
thay
say
ie  I
ie  I
sur
New Spel
thae
sae
ie
ie
sur
MenuSpel
thay
say
ie
ie
suhr
Unifon
DA
sA
I
I
sR
Intrspel*
thä
 ï 
 ï 
s*r
The first line shows how ei and ai are totally confused in traditional spelling.
The code overlap is complete. ey can refer to both sounds, ay can refer to both sounds.
The success of the solutions cannot be determined without reading a long passage in
the new notation.  For more on Spanglish see Pronunciation Spelling

Add the new section here

Writing samples in alternate notations  [more
Please report any difficulties you have reading these stories without a key   Steve
Sweet's Broad Romic Notation   [more Spanglish assigns up to two sounds per letter 
dispyuut wüns 'rouz bitwiin d' wind 'nd d' sün, hwic w'z d' stroqg'r 'v d' tuu, 'nd dei 'griid t' put d' poind an dis ishuu, d't hwicev'r suunist meid ' trävl'r teik of hiz klouk, shud bi 'kaundid d' mor pau'rful. d' wind bigän'nd bluu wid ol hiz maid 'nd mein' bläst, kould 'nd firs 'z ' threish'n storm; b't d' stroqg'r hii bluu d' klous'r d' trävl'r räpt hiz klouk 'raund him, 'nd d' taid'r hii gräspt it wid hiz händz. den brouk aut d' sün: wid hiz welk'm biimz hii disp'rst d' veip'r 'nd d' kould; d' trävl'r felt d' jiiny'l wormth, 'nd 'z d' sün shoun braid'r 'nd braid'r, hii sät daun, ouv'rküm widd' hiit,'nd käst hiz klouk an d' graund   A dispiut wans arowz bitwin the wind and the san, which was the stronger ov the twu, and they agrid tu put the point on this ishu, that whichever sunist meid the travler teik of hiz cloak, shud bi acounted the mor paurful.  The wind bigan, and blu with ol hiz mait and meid a blast, coald and fiers as a thraeshing storm; but the stronger hi blu, the clowsr the travler rapt hiz clowk araund him, and the taiter hi graspt it with hiz handz.  Then browk aut the san: with hiz welcam bimz hi dispowzd the vapor and the cowld; the travler felt the jinyal warmth and az the san shown braiter and braiter, hi sat daun, overcom with the hit, and kast hiz clowk on the graund. 
Iqliz  -  The Gettysberg Address
'=[schwa  ^  a:]  a=[ae ai  au], e=[ei & e]  o=aw owe z=z - sh  s=s - z, d=d - dh, t=t - th, u = u - u:  k=tch
Spanglish - The Gettysberg Address
schwa= '  'e 'a 'u   o=aw & owe  a.=ae   i= 'i  iy d'=dh
Which of the three notations is the easiest to read?
 For scor 'nd sev'n yirs 'go ar fad'rs brot fort on dis cant'n'nt ' nu nez'n, c'nsivd in lib'rti 'nd ded'cet'd t' d' prap'siz'n d't ol men 'r criet'd icw'l. 

Na wi 'r ingejd in ' gret civil wor, testiq wed'r d't nez'n or eni nez'n so c'nsivd 'nd so ded'cet'd can loq indur. Wi 'r met on ' gret bat'lfild 'v d't wor. Wi hav c'm t' ded'cet ' porz'n 'v dat fild, as' fan'l restiq ples f'r dos hu hir gev der lavs dat dat nez'n mat liv. It is olt'ged'r fitiq 'nd prap'r dat wi zud du dis. 

B't, in ' larj'r sens, wi can nat ded'cet - wi can nat cans'cret - wi can nat halo dis grand. D' brev men, liviq 'nd ded, hu str'g'ld her, hav cans'cret'd it, far 'b'v ar pur pa'r t' ad or ditract. D' w'rld wil lit'l not, n'r loq rimemb'r, wat wi se her, b't it can nev'r f'rget wat de did her. It is f'r 's d' liviq, rad'r t' bi ded'cet'd her t' d' 'nfinizd w'rc wik de hu fot her hav d's far so nobli 'dvansd. It is rad'r f'r 's t' bi her de'cet'd t' d' gret tasc r'meniq b'f'r 's - dat fr'm diys an'rd ded wi tec incrisd d'voz'n t' dat cos f'r wik de gev d' last ful mes'r 'v d'voz'n - dat wi her hali r'salv dat diys ded zal nat hav dad in ven - dat dis nez'n, 'nd'r Gad, zal hav ' nu b'rt 'v frid'm - 'nd dat g'v'rment 'v d' pip'l, ba d' pip'l, f'r d' pip'l, zal nat periz fr'm d' 'rt.  [iqliz]

Gus T's notation uses the schwapostrophe and is very compact. 

 For scor a.nd sevn yirs 'ago aur fathrs brot forth on this contin'ent 'a nu nation, consivd in lib'rti 'and dedicat'd tu d' prap'siz'n that ol men ar crieited iqw'al. 

Nau wi ar ingeijd in 'a gret civil wor, testing wethr da.t nas'n or eny nas'n so consivd and so dedicat'd ca.n long indur. Wi ar met on 'a gret bat'lfild 'ov dat wor. Wi hav cam tu dedicat 'a pors'n 'ov dat fild, az 'a fain'al resting pleis for tho'z hu hir gav ther laivs that that nas'n mait liv. It iz olt'ged'r fiting and prop'r that wi shwd du this. 

B'at, in 'a larjr sens, wi can not dedicat - wi can nat consicreit - wi can not halo this graund. Th' brev men, living and ded, hu str'ag'ld hir, hav consicreit'd it, far 'ab'ov ar pur paur tu a.d or detract. Th' w'rld wil li.tl no't, nor long rimembr, wat wi sey hir, b't it can nev'r forget wat they did her. It iz for 'as th' living, rath'r t' bi ded'cat'd hir tu the 'anfinishd work wich they hu fot hir hav th's far so' nobly advansd. It is rath'r for 'as tu bi hir de'dicat'd tu th' greit task r'meining b'for 'as - that fr'm thiz an'rd ded wi tak incrisd d'vos'n tu that coz for wich they geiv th' last ful mes'r 'v divos'n - dat wi hir haily r'salv that thiz ded shal not hav daid in vein - that this nas'n, 'andr God, shal hav 'a nu birth 'v frid'm - and that gov'rment 'v th' pipl, bai th' pip'l, for th' pipl, shal not perish from th' 'rth.  [SPanglic]
Winglish Iqliz
Saundspel Wenglish
http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/writq-samplz.htm


The great vowel shift http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/vaul-shift.htm

Linguist, David Kelley prepared a diagram and helped build a web page designed to answer the question by one of the over 100 readers of the saundspel postings: "What was the great vowel shift and when did it happen?"  The vowel shift refers to the widespread alphabet deviant pronunciations of some word groups that became common in 14th century England. Pronunciation does change over time and it is very difficult to arrest although not as difficult today as when most people were illiterate.  When people start to change the way they pronounce groups of words, the rational reaction and the one adopted by most countries interested in preserving their alphabet is to respell.

The main difference between Chaucer's language and our own is in the pronunciation of the "long" vowels. The consonants remain generally the same, though Chaucer [1345-1400] rolled his r's, sometimes dropped his aitches, and pronounced both elements of consonant [and vowel] combinations, such as kn, in knife /kni:f'/.  In Modern English this k is silent.  The short vowels are very similar in Middle and Modern English. But the "long" vowels are strikingly different. This is due to what Jesperson called "The Great Vowel Shift": [more]

Dialects of English

One of the problems encountered by those trying to improve the connection between speech and
spelling (sound & symbol) is how to deal with the various dialects of English.

Linguist, David Kelly, a member of the saundspel egroup,  has created a useful set of diagrams contrasting two speech patterns sometimes called rhotic and non rhotic accents or R and R-drop dialects.  The contrast words in the diagram are burr and rubber which in RP is / b' / and / r^b' /.

In North American, there is no distinction between the vowel in alms and pot. [aalmz, paat] 
In RP there is.  Pot is pronounced very close to the pronunciation of paw + t.  It is a short and snappy /aw/ not a drawn out one as in paw.  Sweet used [ao] to reference this sound.  World English uses [oo].  IPA uses a turned c.

General American compared to educated british [RP]

....

 
TES  GA
RP
burr b'r b'
rubber r'b-'r r'b-'
pot pa:t po:t
pot paaht pawt
our au'r au'
ower ou-'r ou'

 
TES  GA
RP
father fa:th'r fa:th'
bother ba:th'r
bah-th'r
botha
bawth'
fire fa:ir 
fah-ee-r
fa:'
fah-uh
far fa:r fa: fah
or o:'r
awe-r
o:'
awe-uh



Copyright © 2000, BETA information design.   All Rights Reserved.
 
 

END of edited material


Valerie Yule updates OZideas [ozzie  oz-ideas]
http://welcome.to.ozideas
go.to.ozideas

World Wide Weblish  
stress phonemic?
Does Weblish point the way to WwEnglish?  wrld web english
 Weblish is adult invented spelling.  It is not consistent but it is short and streamlined.
What weblish should be: [prescription for a better way to communicate]

Phonology course started [course]

visible speech [link]

Mole adds to site for Kids [link]

phoneme inventory

how alphabetic is TES?
writq-samplz.htm
 

Writing systems book proposal

Is English Dyslexic? MSJ articles

Add Search Engine



 
Home Office Top Ten List 
Important URLs for spelling by S. Bett
http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/spelinks.htmjl
Letterman's Top Ten
Top Ten List
  1. Steves updated list of spelling links.
  2. George Lahey, author of the recently published PV6, has upgraded his website at www.tfb.com/~glahey/inglish.htm

  3. www.cyberg8t.com/gnmlahey/indes.htm
  4. Paul Cunningham has simplified the layout of his pages but continues to have the best problem-solution essay on the Web.  The variant of ALC fonetic is called Spelriet [not be be confused with RITEspel].. www.meritadvisors.com/spelriet/
  5. Alan Mole's has improved and expanded his page for kids at 
  6. page has more than just a copy of the original BTRSPL orthographic converter. www.diac.com/~entente/btrspl.html
  7. The easiest way to convert passage or a complete book to regularized spelling [ALC fonetic, truespel, or cut spelling] is by using linguist Steven Bird's automated BTRSPL Perlscript converter.  The converter [based on BTRSPL] continues to be available at www.ldc.upenn.edu/cgi-bin/sb/orthography/convert.cgi 
  8. Valerie Yule's bibliography of spelling-related books and articles can be found at http://pages.whowhere.com/community/sbett/splbib.html
  9. Valerie's ozideas page containing nearly a hundred links is found at
  10. The Uniform English Society has upgraded its website at http://geocities.com/athens/oracle/4012 Uniform English
  11. The page on Fanetik spelling has added a dictionary and an explanation in Spanish. (fa'netik in CCS where a'=schwa) rey = rae, Juan=hwaan, norte=naute
  12. John Reilly has added a few new features to his page at http://pages.prodigy.com/VBDS39A/

  13. Shaw on Language - Preface to the Miraculous Birth of Language 

    http://www.meritadvisors.com/spelriet.htm  spellriet 

    http://www.tutoru.com/Phonetics.htm  phonetic English new 

    http://www.riva.com/re

    http://www.nuspel.org/         nuspel 

    http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/spell/    barnsdale 



    Common front to search engines www.search.com 

    http://www.eece.ksu.edu/~spectre/WebStar/spell.html 


    a' riformd speling ov ingli5 myt mit with a similr risep5n.  a.z Jo.n G and Chris and u.thrz pointd aut a' wyl ba.k, ku.t speling ofn s.impli ripro'dusez midl ingli5 formz.  ivn wen rispelingz ar novl, x skimz xat produs's xem ar jenrali ju'st ria'serting prinsip'lz xat wer part ov ingli5 orthografi fr'm itz insep5n, bu't xat bikeim obskiurd in 'rli mo.drn tymz.
     
    homepage    homepage-stb New Phonology Course NSU
    Add IPA test to phonology article Bb Training Course - upgrade
     writq-samplz.htm  visible-speech.html
    MSJ-article  Quail-Spell.html  spelling/new_romaji.html
    Sitemap-L sitemap-l.html phonology-course.html
    This course needs updating
    add a true false quiz
    Blackboard Orientation
    Test Courses
    attempt to include pw
    SpellsiteSpelsite3  books-phonology.html  MSJ articles
    Spellinksbadarguments2.htm  problems-splriet.htm  spell-books.html
    speliNz  ALC list   japaniz-roma.htm  World-Eng-charts.html
    Photos   Europe 75k  writing-samples.htm  vowelshift.htmcons-tabl.htm
    tudu.html l
    .spel-pronunciation.htm  writing-systems.htm  trublspl2.html
    telelearning2old start page  writing-sys1.htm  truespell-short.htm
     grafo-fonetics.html  Quail-Spell.html spelng.htmtrubl-spel
    http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/sitemap-l.html
    yrn tu lern
     



If your surfing uncovers any other interesting sites, please let Steve Bett know for mention inlater newsletters.

go to March Newsletter

    Copyright © 2000, BETA information design.   All Rights Reserved.
 
 
join the saund-spellers Visit these related pages on applied linguistics and rationalized spelling
nU @lfabets for EGliSnew alphabets for English x simplifYd speliG sOsYeti
link to the simplified spelling society, UK, Aston University
american litRasi kWnsL link to the American Literacy Council, New York  simplifYd speliG E-group
link to members with email
Spelling Ring
Subscribe to saundspel
Powered by www.egroups.com
Intl spell day - Oct. 9
sitemap-L  .  spelling ring  .  this site  .  phonetic alphabet-IPA
http://www.egroups.com/files/saundspel/saxon-spanglish.html
Spelling Day http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas/spday.html

  A new web ring on writing systems

  A new web ring on writing systems has been set up to complement the one on spelling
  reform that John Reilly established over a year ago. A ring is an automated link exchange
  system which maintains links between similar sites.

  On the web, about 30% of the links will go dead within a year. The web ring
  automatically checks for this and removes dead links. Anyone can join a web ring simply
  by placing a return link on their page. To sign up, use the following URLs: Reilly’s Spelling
  Reform Ring, link page to writing systems

  Valerie Yule has posted an article on writing systems found on both the ozideas site and
  on saundspel.
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/writing-sys-vy.htm
  http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas/writintro.htm

  The surplus cut spelling site, mirroring much of the material found at the SSS page, has
  been updated.
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/surplus-cut.html

  Limitations of fonics instruction
  An article attempting to introduce middle school teachers to the limitations of fonics in a
  writing system that matches the dictionary pronunciation guide less than 40% of the time
  can be found at
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/MSJ-article.html

  Order out of web chaos?

  A new page, on Weblish, begins with an account of the spelling practises found on the
  web and suggestions for bringing some order out of the chaos of invented spellings.
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/weblish.html

  Applied linguistics course

  Linguist David Kelley and members of the saundspel discussion group are attempting to
  build a short course on applied linguistics spelling that reformers and amateur
  orthografers would find informative and useful.
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/phonology-course.html

  The alfabet project

  The Saxon alfabet has been presented as one way to restore the benefits of the alfabet
  which include spelling pronunciation. This augmented Latin alfabet has two sounds per
  symbol and makes it possible to read words exactly as they are spelled.

  The reform is simply to reduce the number of sounds per symbol from about 10 to less
  than three.

  There is general agreement on what four sounds should be associated with each symbol
  and what four symbols should beassociated with each sound. Getting below four,
  however, is a challenge. For background, visit
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/alphabet-def.htm
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/saxon-alphabet.htm
 

  URL top ten spelling list

       1. Spelling sites: links to over 50 rapid:
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/sitemap-l.html

       2. Principles of spelling reform - H Sweet:
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/sweet-short.htm

       3. Writing samples in different orthografies - side by side comparison:.
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/writq-samplz.htm
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/writing-samples.htm

       4. Visible speech and the Great Vowel Shift:
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/visible-speech.html
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/vowel-shift.html

       5. Ozi ideas - Valerie Yule on writing systems - link page:
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/writing-sys-vy.htm

       6. The sounds of English - the foneme inventory:
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/stress-fonemic.html

       7. Definitions of key linguistic terms: alfabet, foneme:
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/alphabet-def.htm

       8. Romaji (nu roman for ESL)
       http://
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/ Quail-Spell.html

       9. Is stress fonemic? - the truespel solution:
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/stress-fonemic.html

     10. Fonetic spelling that shows stress: www.truespel.com
       http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/truespel-1.htm
 

  


A fuller version of this page can be found at
  http://victorian.fortunecity.com/vangogh/555/Spell/ssn-oct-2k.html
 
 

  Alan Mole’s site for kids  http://www.diac.com/~entente/