The propa way to spel | Antimoon Forum

Spanish-Spannish
Danish-Dannish
finish-finnish
Finnish-Finnish
fungi-funguy
ukelele-uekuhlaylee
telephone-tellafone
television-tellavizhun
grocery-groashry
grocer-groasher
rhynoceros-rinossurus

elevator-ellavater
escalator-escalater
restaurant-resturaant
French fries-french fries [they didn't originate in France so why capitalize the ''french''].
doughnut/donut-donut
catalog[ue]-cattalog
acre-aker
kilometer-kuhlomuter
googol-googul
googolplex-googulplex
hyperspace-hiperspaiss
cyberspace-siberspaiss

'til-til [who doesn't know that '' 'til '' is short for ''until''? It's so obvious. The apostrophe should go.]
German-Jurmun

doberman pinscher-dobermun pincher
shih-tzu-shitzoo

I'm participating in the tinker reform too.

magic-majjic
fold-foald
cold-coald
Sunday-Sunday
Monday-Munday
Tuesday-Toozday
Wednesday-Wenzday
Thursday-Thurzday
Friday-Frieday
Saturday-Satturday
automobile-automoebeel
laurel-lorrel or lorel
bored-bord
waffle-waafel

At last we have a new spelling.

The English has a beautiful spoken pronunciation, but the spelling is not at all considered logical. Recent studies, people have criticized this.
Ex: sweet ------- sweet "new spelling"
sweat ------- swet "new spelling"

buy ------- bey "new spelling"
by ------- by "new spelling"

see ------- se
sea ------- se

peace ------- peass [ ee or ea, but ee is better, not eh]
piece ------- peess

thought ------- thaut
that ------- dhat

sick ------- sic
been ------- bin or bean

school ------- school "remaining the same if needed"
skunk ------- skunk "remaining the same"

bite ------- beit

light ------- leit

new ------- new

beauty ------- beuty

science ------- sience

fool ------- fool

book ------- bwauk

glue ------- glue

what ------- hwot or wot

The United States gives rights to everybody. Why isn't the new spelling tolerated and ignored, but unacceptable?

The American eagle dhe ameriken eegaul "new spelling"
The White House dha hweit houss "new spelling"
The Youth dha yooth "new spelling"

I pronounce "err" as [e:] either way "err" is hardly ever seen in English orthography. Why not stick with normal options like "air" and "air"?

The words "herr", ''rigatoni'', ''pueblo'', "pizza", "spaghetti", "taco", "pasta", "ravioli", "karate", "sushi", "encore", "entree", "genre" and "llama" have become English words but we all know that they are also foreign words. Of course, when you use them you're not using incorrect English.

However we all know them to be words from foreign languages and thus shouldn't be so shocked that they emloy spellings which don't quite fit our orthography. Keep in mind that these words are spelt the way they are to fit a language that may have a completely different phonological structure to that of English (i.e. they use different phonemes).

Perhaps keeping them spelt as they are would serve us better in terms of understanding the language and culture that they are from. As I say, there is more to spelling than just representing the sounds of speach.

Good point about "sine": it's not commonly seen and context will easily be enough to rid us of confusion thus "sine" for "sign" would be fine.

Smith's objection about Joe's respelling "find" as "fiend" is easy to fix: just respell "fiend" as "feend".

I agree with Smith about the [Our] / [o:(r)] distinction. It's better left in.

Joe refers to the Antimmon chart to show that no such phonemes as [n:] and [W] exist. This list was never meant to include all the phonemes of English.

Tom (the chart's creator) acknowledges this fact. If you don't believe it ask him. He ommitted certain phonemes that he didn't think were too important for the beginner to worry too much about. This is a very different thing to saying that they don't exist.

In truth [n:] is not a phoneme, I think that Smith recognises this fact although he did call it a "is a very rare phoneme". It's not a phoneme but it does represent a distinction made by some speakers. Should it be included in a reform? This comes back to the question of whether we should reform words of foreign origine: if not perhaps we can ignore it. Similarly if ''rouille'' remained spelt as ''rouille'' there'd be no postvocalic "y" problem.

But wait there's more ...

Worcestershire-Woostershur
shephard-sheppurd

When I see "ur" (before a consonant letter other than "r" or at the end of a word) I tend to think [e:(r)]. I don't pronounce these as [wust..Se:] and [Sepe:d] I say [wust..Si:..] and [Sep..d] thus for me "Woostersheer" and "shepperd" would be better. Though I agree with Smith that you should ask someone from Worcestershire how they pronounce it ... ask them whether they want it respelt too whilst you're at it.

tyrannosaurus rex-Turronnasorus rex

This looks like [t^ron..so:r..s reks] I say [t..r@n..so:r..s reks].

tour-tor
buoy-booey
produce-pruddoose
produce-proadoose

This is an accent thing again. Here's how these words come out in my accent.

tour = [tu..]
buoy = [boi]
produce (verb) = [pr..'dju:s]
produce (noun) = ['prOudju:s]

scent-sennt

How is this better? You just replaced one arbitary orthographic distinction with another. Why not just leave it as "scent"?

janitor-janniter

Double the "n" so why not double the "t": "jannitter"?

gaol/jail-jale

What was wrong with "jail"? Are you respelling "ail" as "ale", "nail" as "nale", "tail" as "tale", "mail" as "male", "pail" as "pale", "trail" as "trale", "bail" as "bale", "hail" as "hale", "Grail" as "Grale", "rail" as "rale", "fail" as "fale", etc.?

folk-foek

How often do you see the digraph "oe" for [Ou] anywhere but at the end of a word? Why not "foak" or "foke"?

liter-leeter

If you're respelling "litre" as "leeter", are you respelling "metre" as "meeter" or are you sticking with the US spelling "meter" indistinguishable from the meter which measures things? If you're sticking with "meter" why not respell "litre" as "leter"?

khaki-kakkee
spaghetti-spagettee

Why "ee" when "y" would do? Why "kk" instead of the more usual "ck"?

sushi-sooshee
karate-kurrahtee

This is very interesting. This is an example of one reason I think that foreign words should be left as they are. At least left as they are they retain something of their connexion with their correct pronunciation. Do you know how these words are supposed to be pronounced, i.e., how they are pronounced in Japanese? Well let me tell you (as best I can using Antimoon's alphabet).

sushi = [suSi]
karate = [k^r^te]

Now you might say "Oh, well, I pronounce them like this as so they should be spelt like that and ..." but you're employing a pronunciation based on a misunderstanding of the system in which the words were romanised in the first place. The common English (mis)pronunciation comes from applying the wrong rules.

find-fined
mind-mined
grind-grined
wind-wined
wild-wiled
child-chiled

These all look as if they were the past tense/participle forms of other words. This is especially problematic when you consider some of those words exist, i.e. "fine" and "mine". You've got to take grammar into account too.

hot water heater-hotwatterheater
water-wawter

Why two different choices? The respelling "watter" for "water" is no good, "wawter" works but looks nasty, my preference would be for "wauter". Are we creating new words too? And if so why not use sensible ones? You don't heat hot water, why not just "wauterheater"?

Multiverse-Multivurss

You wouldn't be Reptile Guy would you Joe?

quoin-koin

Some say [kwoin].

corral-curralle

This looks like [k^ra:l] but I say [k..ra:]; why not "keraal"?

wash-waash
watt-waat
wander-waander

Perhaps you make not distinction between [o] and [a:] but many do. I say [woS], [wot] and [wond..] not [wa:S], [wa:t] and [wa:nd..]. Should we replace the "a"s with "o"s? I don't think it's necessary, I've already discussed why. By the way it's "Watt" not "watt".

More of Joe's respellings.

yea-yae
re-rae

That good old "ae" again. Wouldn't "yay" and "rey" be better?

beautiful-buetiful
beauty-buety

Sure, drop the "a"s but there's no need to reverse the order of the "e"s & the "u"s. Better: "beutiful" and "beuty".

parmasan-parmazaan

I say [pa:m..z.n]

bicycle-biesikkul
tricycle-triesikkul
motorcycle-motersikul
unicycle-unisikul

We're replacing all "-le"s with "-ul"s. I don't see what's so wrong with the "-le"s their use is pretty consistant. Why "kk" rather than "ck"?

Spanish-Spannish
Danish-Dannish

They don't rhyme you don't say [d@niS] but [deiniS]

fungi-funguy

I say [fungi].

ukelele-uekuhlaylee

This is so much more complex than the original. Besides why the "y", better an "i" but need you anything at all?

grocery-groashry
grocer-groasher

I say [grOus..] and [grOusri(:)] not [grOuS..] and [grOuSri(:)].

restaurant-resturaant

I say [restront] why not "restront"?

French fries-french fries [they didn't originate in France so why capitalize the ''french''].

They don't have to be from France to be named after France. I call them "chips" anyway so should I care? How about "fredumfrize"?

kilometer-kuhlomuter

Looks like [k..lomju:t..(r)]. Why not just recognise it as a word formed by the addition of a prefix to a stem word. Are you respelling "metre" as "muter"?

John,

"Till is not a clipped version of until: both are Standard words. Until may be considered a trifle more Formal, but both occur at all levels. ’Til is a variant spelling used by those who think (incorrectly) that till is a clipped form. At best it looks old-fashioned and self-conscious. Use till instead."

Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–).
The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
http://www.bartleby.com/68/67/6067.html

Tuesday-Toozday

I say [tSu:zdei].

automobile-automoebeel

Why not "automoabeel" or "automoabele"?

laurel-lorrel or lorel

I'd go for "lorrel". "Lorel" looks like it should be [lo:r.l]

bored-bord

And then what becomes of "board"?

waffle-waafel

I see you're anti-"-le" too. Okay but I say [wof.l] not [wa:f.l]. How about "woffel"? Actually, I think "waffle"'s fine.

Will Shakes,

buy ------- bey
bite ------- beit
light ------- leit

Looks like they should be pronounced like "bay", "bait" and "late", i.e. [bei], [beit] and [leit]. The digraphs "ei" and "ey" usually represent [ei] in traditional orhtography.

see ------- se
sea ------- se

So two words become indistinguishable but you're keeping the distinction between "peace" and "piece" (which become "peass" and "peess").

been ------- bin or bean

Do you mean that there'll be two spellings for this word? In quick speach it might become [bin] but I think it's best to stick with the careful pronunciation of the word as it comes out in isolation. Stick with [bi:n]. Also why go for "bean": there already is a spelt like this. Besides most would prefer "ee" to "ea" where both are valid options. There's nothing wrong with "been" leave it be.

book ------- bwauk

I have no idea what you're getting at here. Who says [bwo:k] rather than [buk]?

what ------- hwot or wot

Changing "wh" for the benifit of those who say [hw] is a bad idea. Most of us say [w]. Some of us say [W]. "Hw" is no good for the [w] sayers nor fro the [W] sayers. What about "whot"? I think that this is better than "hwot" or "wot" but still unnecessary.

"The United States gives rights to everybody." you write. This isn't a political forum. Why post this kind of stuff here? I don't agree but I don't care to discuss it here.

Jim,

Once "bay" used to sound as "buy". In German the long i sound is represented by "ei". If you know that ''-ai- and -ay'' is different from
"-ei- and -ey", you must be agreed with me and with the new spelling reforms. Many people are making theirs. Maybe some of them don't do
the best one.

How about this for a spelling reform?

NORMAL VERSION

The eight people on the ark were truly amazed that such a small boat made only of gopher wood would be enough to house all those animals and all their food. Puzzled about the seeming miracle they decided to calculate the total weight of the whole bunch. So they started weighing each organism. In the end they figured out that the whole affair had to be impossible and so they disappeared in a puff of logic.

SLIGHTLY REFORMED VERSION

The eit peeple on the ark wer truly amazed that such a small boat made oanly ov gofer wood wood be enuf tu house all those animals and all their food. Puzzled about the seeming miracle they decided to calculate the total weit ov the hoal bunch. So they started weying each organism. In the end they figured out that the hoal affair had to be impossable and so they disappeered in a puf ov logic.

PHONEMICALLY REFORMED VERSION

Dha ait peepyl on dha ark wur truuly ymaizd dhat such a smaul boat maid oanly ov goafer wood wood be ynuf tu houz aul dhoaz anymylz and aul dhair fuud. Puzyld ybout dha seeming mirrykyl dhay dysiedyd tu calkeulait dha toatyl wait ov dha hoal bunch. So thay startyd waying eech orgynizm. In dha end thay figerd out dhat dha hoal yfair had tu be imposybyl and so thay disypeerd in a puf ov lojik.

CRAZY VERSION

Ddx qit piipxl on ddx ark wxxr truulii xmqizd ddqt satc x smool bxut mqid xunlii ov gxufxr wud wud bii xnaf tuu hqoz ool ddxuz qnxmxlz qnd ool ddeer fuud. Pazxld xbqot ddx siiminn mirxkxl ddqi dxsaidxd tuu kqlkyuulqit ddx txutxl wqit ov ddx hxul bantc. Sxu ddqi startxd wqiing iitc orgxnizm. In ddx end ddqi figxrd qot ddqt ddx hxul xfeer hqd tuu bii imposxbxl qnd sxu ddqi disypird in x paf ov lodjik.

I've got to hand it to you, Jim...That last one definitely lives up to its name.

In German "ei" represents the sound in "Einstein". This is true. In English "ei" and "ey" commonly represents [ei].

ONE OF MY BIG FUNNY JOKES

There once was this agnostic blood-cell eating bacterium who wrote the following "to-do" list one day.

1. pray in vain
2. prey in vein

ONE OF MY NICE LITTLE POEMS

Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey,
When she was through,
She started to spew,
For the hair on her head had turned grey.