Is stress phonemic?

If stress is fonemic, then Truespel could build a stronger argument for reprsenting 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. [more]

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 doz not cause any misinterpretation or miscommunication problems.  According to the SP principle, such words do not need to be respelled. 

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. 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 a set of letter - sound correspondences.  The goal is to have no more than two correspondences per letter. [more]

Alfabet restoration project posts draft

Reducing 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.  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
Unifon	DA	sA	I	I	sR
Intrspel*	thä	sä	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

Writing samples in alternate notations  [more] 
 

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 sun, 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 thraeshen 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 sun: with hiz welcam bimz hi dispowzd the vapor and the cowld; the travler felt the jinyal warmth and az the sun 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 ar fad'rs brot forth on dis continvnt 'a nu nation, consivd in lib'rti 'and dedicat'd tu d' prap'siz'n d't ol men ar criet'd icw'l.  Nau wi ar ingeijd in 'a gret civil wor, testing wed'r 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 'v dat wor. Wi hav cvm tu dedicat 'a pors'n 'v dat fild, az 'a fain'l resting pleis for d'o'z hu hir gav der laivs dat dat nas'n mait liv. It iz olt'ged'r fiting 'and prop'r dat wi shwd du dis.  Bvt, in 'a larjr sens, wi can not dedicat - wi can nat consicreit - wi can not halo dis graund. D' brev men, living 'nd ded, hu strvg'ld hir, hav consicreit'd it, far 'ab'ov ar pur paur tu a.d or ditract. D' wrld wil li.tl no't, nor long rimembr, wat wi sey hir, bvt it can nev'r forget wat dey did her. It iz for 'vs d' living, rad'r t' bi ded'cat'd hir tu d' vnfinishd work wich dey hu fot hir hav d's far so' nobly advansd. It is rad'r for 'vs tu bi hir de'dicat'd tu d' greit task r'mening b'for 'vs - dat fr'vm diys an'rd ded wi tak incrisd d'vos'n tu dat coz for wich dey geiv d' last ful mes'r 'v divos'n - dat wi hir haily r'salv dat diys ded shal not hav daid in vein - dat dis nas'n, vnd'r God, shal hav 'a nu birth 'v frid'm - and dat gov'rment 'v d' pipl, bai d' pip'l, for d' pipl, shal not perish from d' 'rth.  [SPanglic]

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 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 14th century non-alphbetic pronunciation of some word groups in English. 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 pronciation 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]

GA RP far fa ore  /our/  oh-r or  /o:'/  aw-uh fire  /fair/  fah-ee-r fire  /fa /  fah...

GA RP far fa ore  /our/  oh-r or  /o:'/  aw-uh fire  /fair/  fah-ee-r fire  /fa /  fah...

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

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

END of edited material

not completed below line

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
 

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

www.cyberg8t.com/gnmlahey/indes.htm
3. 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/
4. Alan Mole's has improved and expanded his page for kids at 
5. page has more than just a copy of the original BTRSPL orthographic converter. www.diac.com/~entente/btrspl.html
6. 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 
7. Valerie Yule's bibliography of spelling-related books and articles can be found at http://pages.whowhere.com/community/sbett/splbib.html
8. Valerie's ozideas page containing nearly a hundred links is found at
9. The Uniform English Society has upgraded its website at http://geocities.com/athens/oracle/4012 Uniform English
10. 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
11. John Reilly has added a few new features to his page at http://pages.prodigy.com/VBDS39A/

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

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Common front to search engines www.search.com

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


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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.
 

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