"Shood Eenglish speleng be funetik?"

1. 73

   i scribbleposted 10 years ago

   "Shood  Eenglish speleng be funetik?"
   
     As a reading instructor, I offin wunder. Yoor tern too wa in!

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2. 0

   sheilamyersposted 10 years ago

   Definitely not. It's bad enough trying to wade through some people's typos. I'm thinking about English as it's spoken in the U.S. There are several dialects spread across the country which means one word can be pronounced several different ways depending on the region where it's being used. If everyone spelled the words based on the way they pronounce it, there would be no set standard. If we take the step to use the phonetic spellings for words, why no go a step further and let our kids always write the way they type in text messages?

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You make a good point about different dialects and pronunciations in different areas. Standard spelling is another big issue. Getting bureaucrats to agree on any changes is a steep uphill battle, e.g., changing from standard to metric measurement.

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3. 92

   jansharesposted 10 years ago

   Funny but interesting question, i scribble. I think it would be confusing because we all have different pronunciations and dialects. We've become accustomed to the spelling of words being consistent as we get used to each other saying them differently.

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Jan,
      Thanks for weighing in. The answer may seem obvious to a good speller (like you or me), but some children have to work so hard to memorize the spelling of every word. It's a hallmark of dyslexia.

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   cianekoposted 10 years ago

   Haha. No! I am a language student and I find phonetics difficult to do that is why it is good to keep on using the spelling as is.

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting perspective. I see you are from the Philippines. Does your native language have a phonetic alphabet? Do you study English or various languages?

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   Merlin Fraserposted 10 years ago

   You mean like they use to do in the Domesday Book  before someone invented a degree of standardisation into the language ?
   
   Besides if you look more closely at  Americanese I think you'll find they more or less 'Spel Lik That !"

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're saying we need standardized spelling, and I agree. I just wish it could be more phonetic, one letter for each sound, etc. I'm sure you've noticed some spellings are different in Britain and U.S., like standardise(ze) and colour/color.

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   The Examiner-1posted 10 years ago

   Eye dew nut know.
   
   I can tell you this, a spell checker would not look twice at that sentence since they are all words and as far as it is concerned. The sentence is okay since all of the words are spelled correctly.

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes! Spell checks need to be much smarter in putting words in a sensible context.

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      The Examiner-1posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I do not know if anyone will ever get around to doing that.

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   Borsiaposted 10 years ago

   Ah my mind goes back to Gallagher's old standup routine.
   But seriously no I think we do need to get back to the basics of education and teach English the way it was taught rather than accepting what we have today where few can spell or write and fewer still can make themselves understood.
   I am somewhat reminded of Chinese history.
   Before the written language every region, even different villages, couldn't speak to each other. It was really quite a mess and impossible to govern or even trade widely.
   In the 12th century the Emperor got fed up with it all and decreed that everyone in China would learn to read and write his script.
   Fortunately for English there aren't 3000 symbols to memorize and we can learn to sound out words with reasonable accuracy.
   Yes there are a lot of contradictory and confusing things in the English language but it is probably the best there is and its worth learning correctly.

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Great point about the history of written language and the need for commonality in spoken and written word. I've heard that some other languages are more phonetic than English, such as Spanish and French. Don't know what makes a language 'best'.

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   Marsha Musselman1posted 10 years ago

   Sometimes it can already be difficult to figure out what someone means or is really saying when you read what's written down, if things weren't spelled correctly I think I'd get it wrong even more.
   
   For those that are dyslexic I don't know the answer to that one. I guess it depends on the age of the child. Maybe letting the younger child learn phonetically would get them started and then as they get a bit older get them to incorporate more correct spelling into their writings.
   
   I know it's possible for someone to be dyslexic and still succeed in school. I don't see how they can succeed without being able to spell correctly.
   
   Good question.

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You have an interesting suggestion about teaching young children to spell phonetically first. I have been tempted to try that approach, but probably never would because I would expect to be attacked from all sides for 'going off the grid'.

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   ChristinSposted 10 years ago

   Oh, my inner critic just died inside a little reading this lol
   
   No, I would hate to see that. Also, what about different accents where words sound different for example people in my neighboring state of Missouri who already don't know how to pronounce it and say "mizuruh" would that not confuse all of those who don't live there when we spell it phonetically? Although phonetic spelling may help out with those who don't understand that my state is NOT pronounced Illinoise lol

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      i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hilarious, and so true! Thanks for wa-eeng in!

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    Jordan Hakeposted 10 years ago

    It's a pity we didn't start this centuries ago when the language was young.  Alas, you can't teach an old tongue new spelling!

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       i scribbleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       So true!  They say people don't like change, and old traditions and bureaucracies are even more change resistant.

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