ENGLISH SPELLING
revised 22 November 2010
A possible Dictionary Pronunciation Gide
and lerners beginning ABC - set out in Tables
Most Dictionary Pronunciation Guides are of no use as beginners start to read and spell. Many children’s dictionaries and word-books give no pronunciation guide, or very little.
This Pronunciation Gide for Dictionaries and Beginners, especially dislexics, is a modified form of BBC Text Spelling. (This is not the same as BBC Modified Spelling) ttp://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/delivery/spelling.pdf http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/delivery/pron.shtml
Set out with the International Phonetic Alphabet to show the international standard.
Letters and sounds in comic illustrations for beginners
In modified form, as a system for learners too, written pronunciations of the 24 consonants and 20 vowels of English are given here in a text spelling system based on present English spellings, except when no special spelling exists for a sound - e.g. three new digrafs are uu for guud, zh for vizhon, and tth for unvoiced th as in tthin. Sounds are as popularly understood, not linguistically perfect as in IPA. The examples in words ensure that the sounds will be taken up as dialects understand them – for example, different English dialects pronounce ‘hat’ differently.
Syllables are separated by hyphens. Stressed syllables are in plain print, and unstressed in italcs e.g. ‘pro-nun-si-ai-shn’. The indeterminate sound schwa of casual speech is therefore not represented, but the present spelling is maintained. Changes in spelling where the vowel is obscure are not made.
Since there are only 26 Latin letters (some unnecessary) and up to 44 English sounds, digrafs are ligatured - that is, two letters are tied together as was done in i.t.a, to represent a sound. It is not possible to show ligatures here. Nor is it possible to show the characters of the International Phonetic Alphabet, to represent the sounds.
I am sorry for the defects in layout in these tables. A plain setting out is also given.
| Vowels in the Pronunciation Guide |
Modified for beginners spelling |
In Spelling without traps for writing, extra uses |
Added in Spelling without traps for reading, making present spelling accessible |
Unused - Patterns in present spelling |
a as in hat
à as in bàbi
aa as in bazaar
ar as in bar
air as in hair
au as in autumn
|
Same
Plus a and a-e
Same
Same
Same
Same |
as in spa
as in mate, mail, may, baby
a as in spa
aw as in law |
banana
fort, fall
|
plaid, have, salmon, diaphragm, drachm
eight, steak, veil, obey, gauge, ballet, dossier, matinee, straight, lingerie, reign, thegn
sergeant, heart, are
where, ware, millionaire, heir, Aaron
bought, caught, broad, walk |
e as in get
è as in fèt
er as in border
|
Same
as in mete, me
add a as in spa
|
|
as in meat, meet, see, field
as in bird, drama mortar, doctor
|
weather, many, said, friend, jeopardy, bury aesthetic, says, heifer, guess, debt, phlegm
beach, machine, deceit, deceive, key, Caesar, quay, amoeba, people, debris, receipt, believe, ski, leave, esprit, Raleigh
worst, myrtle, earth, err, amateur, myrrh,colonel
|
i as in sit
ì as in pì
|
Same
Same
|
as in pity
as in pie, might, my, kind
|
final |
give, myth, mischief, build, counterfeit, pretty, carriage, busy, women, minute, sieve touch, dove, flood, does
dye eidos, height, buy, eye, type
ailurophobia, geyser,maestro, aisle, isle, sign, indict |
o as in top
ò as in tò
oo as in boot
or as in corn
ou as in out
oi as in boil |
Same
o-e and o
Same
Same Same
Same |
toe goat no
as in tabu
as in cow
as in boy |
modal
flute do |
watch, bureaucracy, yacht
know, soul, brooch, beau, oh, sew, mauve, pharoah, furlough
luminous, soup, jewel, true, lose, fruit, maneuver, canoe, through, two, Sioux, US lieutenant, Sault Sainte Marie, coup
bough, tau
lawyer, buoy, gargoyle
|
u as in cup
ur as in fur,per-turb
uu as in book
ù as in dù
schwa
not special
|
Same
Same
oo
u and u-e as in music and cue
Same |
|
put look
music few |
should, wolf, cwm
feud,view, beautiful, adieu queue, nuisance, ewe
atrium, callous, borough, Edinburgh never |
| |
Consonants |
Modified for beginners spelling |
Next step,spelling without traps
|
Next, spelling without traps for reading |
Unused - patterns in present spelling |
b
c
ch
d
f
g
h
j
k
kh
|
as in bat
as in cat
as in church
as in dip
as in fat
get
hat
jump
king
Scottish loch or German ich
|
Same
c and k both sound as in cat, kit
Same
"
"
"
"
"
" |
c and k both sound as i
|
rabbit
account
hidden
fluff, photograph
gaggl
gage
kick exept qeen
loch
|
bhang cupboard hautboy dhow
cello match
Buddhist bdellium would mezzo burthen
flugelman often laugh half sapphire lieutenant
ghost eczema blackguard
Navajo Callaghan Colquhoun who when
hajji spinach soldier judgement adjust exaggerate
khaki account bacchanal school lacquer falcon walk quay quill viscount exhibit
|
l
m
n
ng
ng-g
nk
p
r |
leg
man
not
sing
ng-g as in fing-ger
nk as in thank
p as in pen
r as in red |
Same
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
|
finger |
doll
dummy
sunny
nipping
sorry |
silhouette kiln magdalen muscle imbroglio island aisle nestle victual knowledge Guildford
solemn lamb drachm phlegm palm
sandwichmnemonics sign handsome gunwale gnaw John know comptroller pneumatic demesne known
Handkerchief gingham
hiccough shepherd
rhyme corps myrrh hors d’oevre mortgage colonel write
|
s
sh
t
tth
th
v |
s as in sit
sh as in shop
t as in top
tth as in tthink
th as in that
v as in van |
Same
"
"
th for both this and thin
Same
" |
dogs dress
th for both this and thin |
dotty
navvy
|
scene coalesce schism raspberry thistle isthmus sword Gloucester psalm worsted boatswain waltz except
machine fuchsia sugar conscience noxious
debt thyme two yacht indict veldt pthisis receipt pizza
eighth apophthegm Matthew
halve rendezvous
|
w
y
z
zh |
w as in will
y as in yes
z as in zeb-ra
zh as in mezh-u |
Same
"
"
" |
|
quick
buzz
mezùr |
whip memoir bivouac persuade
azalea courteous vignette onion tortilla manana
has discern business scissors asthma beaux Czar
rouge jabot pleasure division |
| |
NOTE, both c and k sound as in cok |
|
|
|
|
These respellings acknowledge word-final or pre-consonantal R, as in words like party and hair, which is pronounced in some accents of English (rhotic) and not in others (non-rhotic). Therefore parker is transcribed as park-r, not paak-r, and the rs will be pronounced or not according to the speaker's accent. Is this necessary? Is aa enuf?
The way the words are broken into syllables in the respelling is not an attempt to reflect actual syllabification in a given language. Instead, it is a tool to reinforce vowel pronunciations and to ensure the most intuitive transcription.
Since there are only 26 Latin letters (some unnecessary) and up to 44 English sounds, digrafs are ligatured - that is, two letters are tied together to represent a sound as was done in i.t.a,. This is not possible to show here.
Our respellings acknowledge word-final or pre-consonantal R, as in words like party and hair, which is pronounced in some accents of English (rhotic) and not in others (non-rhotic). Therefore parker is transcribed as parkr, not paak-r, and the rs will be pronounced or not according to the speaker's accent. Is this necessary? Is aa enuf?
The 5 long vowels A E I O U in later text
In initial and medial place, and final ù as in MÈNÙ, the five long vowels A E I O U can be shown by grav accents, mainly as aids for lernrs, not to be made into a burdn. Most accents can be omitd in adult text. Spelling patrns can also distinguish vowel sounds as in HOPING/ HOPNG.
Grav accents are preferred as diacritics because they are less
instrusiv for fast readers, rather than macrons which teachrs
sometimes use. Dots could be less intrusive still. If keybords
could show dots over long vowels, and remove the dots from short i
and j, it has been calculated that text would be no more 'dotty'
than it is now. A dot could be described to beginners as a 'fieri iey'.
Reason. The five English
'long vowels' are the greatest bugbear in present spelling, and
greatest problem for spelling reformers. To represent them as a e
i o u plus a minimal accent or dot is a s them when present spelling does not.
Why flexibl and optionl spellings
during transition? Basicly, according to
what the market wil bear. A start can be made.
Example: TH BÙTIFL PRINSESS story in Spelling-Rules-on -one-page, Fastr Spelng, and Dictionary Pronunciation Gied Speling
| Spelling-rules-on-one-page |
If u want to spel fastr |
Dictionary Pronunciation Gìd |
| In a vilaj in La Mancha in Spain, of which I cannot remember the name, ther livd not long ago one of thoze òld-fasiond jentlmen, who ar never without a lans upon a stand, an òld shield, a thin hors and a grayhound. He ate beef mor than muton; and, with minsd meat on mòst nights, lentils on Fridays, and a pijon on Sundays, he consùmed three-qorters of his income. The rest was spent on a plush coat, velvet briches with velvet sliprs, for holidays ; and a sute of the best homespun cloth, which he gave himself for wurking-days. His family was a houskeeper something over forty, a nese not twenty, and a man that servd in the hous and in the fèld. The master himself was nearly fifty years òld, with a helthy and strong complexion, lean-bodyd and thin-fased, an erly rizer, and a luvr of hunting. Some say his surname was Quixada, ie. 'lantern-jaws', tho this dus not matr much to us, as long as we keep strictly to the trùth in every point of this history |
In a vilaj in La Mancha in Spain, of wich I cannot remembr the nàm, ther livd not long ago one of thoze òld-fasiond jentlmen, who ar nevr without a lans upon a stand, an òld shèld, a thin hors and a grayhound. He àt bèf mor than mutn; and, with minsd mèt on mòst nìts, lentls on Fridays, and a pijn on Sundays, he consùmd three-qortrs of his incom. Th rest was spent on a plush còt, velvt brichs with velvt sliprs, for holidays ; and a sùt of the best hòmspun cloth, wich he gàv himself for wurkng-days. His famly was a houskèpr somthing òvr forty, a nès not twenty, and a man that servd in the hous and in the fèld. The mastr himself was nèrly fifty yèrs òld, with a helthy and strong complexion, lèn-bodyd and thin-fàsd, an erly rìzr, and a luvr of huntng. Som say his surnàm was Quixada, ie. 'lantrn-jaws', tho this dus not matr much to us, as long as we kèp strictly to th trùth in every point of this histry. |
In a vilaj in La Mancha in Spàn, ov wich I cannot remember the nàm, ther livd not long agò wun ov thòz òld-fashond jentlmen, whoo ar never without a lans upon a stand, an òld shèld, a thin hors and a gràhound. He à bèf mor than muton; and, with minsd mèt on mòst nìts, lentils on Fridàs, and a pijon on Sundàs, hè consùmd thrè-kworters of his incum. The rest woz spent on a plush còt, velvet briches with velvet sliprs, for holidàs ; and a sùt ov the best hòmspun cloth, which hè gàv himself for wurking-dàs. His family woz a houskèper sumthing òver forti, a nès not twenti, and a man that servd in the hous and in the fèld. The master himself was nèrly fifti yèrs òld, with a helthi and strong komplekshon, lèn-bodid and thin-fàsd, an erli rìzer, and a luvr of hunting. Sum sà his surnàm woz Kwiksada, that is, 'lantern-jauz', thò this dus not matr much tù us, as long as wè kèp strictli tù the trùth in everi point ov this histori. |
Half the words in the story of The Beautiful Princesshav irregulr spelling in our present
system, so this story demonstràts maximum text chanjes requird
for reform.
Silabls in italics ar not stressd.
1. Spelling without traps.
Close to conventional spelling |
2. Fastr spelng |
3. Dictionry Pronunciàshon Gd |
| Once upon a time, the bùtiful dauter of a gràt majisian wonted mor perls tu puut amung her trezùrs. "Luuk thru the center of the moon when it is blu," sed her muther in anser to her qestion. "U mìght fìnd yur hart's dezìr."Th prinsess lafd, becos she douted thèz wurds. Insted, she ùzd her imajinàsion, and mùvd into the fotografy bisnes, and tuuk pictùrs of the moon in culor. "I persèv mòst sertinly that it is almòst whòly wìte," she thaut. She also found that she could màk enuf muny in àet munths tu bì herself tuw lovly hùj nù jùels too. |
Once upon a tìm, th bùtifl dautr of a gràt majisn wontd mor perls t puut amung her trezùrs. "Luuk thru th sentr of th moon when it is blu," sed her muthr in ansr to her qestion. "U mìt fìnd yr hart's dezìr."Th prinsess lafd, becauz she doutd thèz wurds. Insted, she ùzd her imajinàsion, and mùvd intu the fotografy bisnis, and tuuk pictùrs of th moon in culr. "I persèv mòst sertnly that it is almòst whòly wìt," she thaut. She also found that she could màk enuf muny in àt munths tu bì herself tuw lovly hùj nù jùels too. |
Wuns u-pon a tìm, the bùt-i-fuul daut-er ov a gràt maj-ish-an wont-ed mor perlz too puut a-mung her trezh-erz. "Luuk thrù the sent-er ov the moon when it iz bloo," sed her muth-er in ans-er too her kwes-chon. "U mìt fìnd yor hart's dez-ìer."The prins-ess lafd, be-koz she dout-ed thèz wurdz. In-sted, shè ùzd her i-maj-in-à-shon, and moovd in-too the fot-o-graf-i bis-nes, and tuuk pic-tùrz ov the moon in cul-or. "I per-sèv mòst sert-in-li that it iz al-mòst hòl-i wìt," shè thaut. Shè aul-sò found tthat she kuud màk e-nuf mun-i in àt munths too bì her-self too luv-li hùj nù jùlz too. |
A SurplusCut version is 8.3% shortr. Fastr Spelling is
15.4% shortr, and changes 8% of letrs, apart from adding gravmarks.
The spelling 'uu' for the vowel sound as in 'book' is a
sujestion, and a betr solution may be found.
36 comon wurds and the affix -tion remain unchanged.
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