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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