[Simplified Spelling Society Newsletter Autumn 1985 pp18-24. Later designated Journal 1]
[Back to Part 1, Discussion and Rules, CSbook, journal articles about CS and other articles by Chris Upward.]
Cut Spelling as a First-Stage Reform,
Part 2, Reading practice, Exercises and Key.
Christopher Upward.
7.1 Cut Spelling Reading Practice.
This CS text also demonstrates the substitution rule GH/PH = /f/ = F. Read the text twice, once as fluently as possible, then more slowly, noting the variations from t.o.:Altho we ofn se unusul spelings such as 'Donut', english-speakrs ar normly taut evry word has a singl corect speling wich must be lernt, howevr much it difrs from th sound. Yet in most othr languages peple no speling needs modrnizing ocasnly, in acordnce with pronunciatn or riting and reading habits. English has undrgon few changes in th past thre centuris howevr, tho genratns of scoolchildrn hav found it an obstcl to efectiv litracy. Not merely can most letrs be soundd in numerus difrnt ways, but ther ar so many ways to rite most sounds, and to make matrs wors, printd texts ar litrd with letrs wich cud be dispensd with altogethr - as this paragraf is intendd to sho. (14% letters saved)
7.2 Rule 1 Exercises.
1. Write these words omitting the redundant letter:| plait wrath threat heir white ascent boar guard court peace centre |
chaos earth climate witch friend yeoman rhythm seize turkey heated come |
gauge doctrinaire sergeant campaign helped ghost whole dye sapphire island shone |
bazaar doubt bomb czar badge cities frenzied juice window camouflage were |
heart beauty chlorine heroine people obvious why courtesy piece gnome serve |
2. Write these words omitting both redundant letters:
| whore aisle ptomaine tongue should |
porpoise eye convalesce foreign trouble |
weight psalm psychology caps caught |
couple handsome Wednesday meadow acquisitive |
sieve journey bough subtle jealous |
3. Write these words omitting all redundant letters:
| autumn build please double |
courage wheeze exhaustive blackguard |
January muscle condemned straight |
drought tortoise pharaoh cupboard |
knelt kidney psychotic ocean |
7.3 Rule 2. Exercises.
1. Write these words simplifying the doubled consonants.(NB i not all repeated consonants are 'doubled';
ii DJ, CK, XC count as doubled J, K, X):
| rabbit adjust opportunity buzz accommodate ammonite assimilate committee support massacre |
occur sack err abbreviate afford annotate attribute connexion odd irrelevant |
add all fuss accept aggravate appetite illusion innocent fizz connoisseur |
cuff annul attire account adjudicate irradiate parallel exaggerate appalling unnatural |
egg choppy except adds alleviate excite inn corrupt fully worry |
2. Write these words as required by Rules 1 & 2:
| fulfilled haemorrhage rheumatism acknowledge allowed |
apple success innocuous married bacchic |
wholly parallelled scissors rubble addressed |
traveller appropriate whinny possessive tapped |
pillow licked furry valley sizzle |
7.4 Rule 3.1 Exercises.
1 Write these words without spelling post-accentual shwa:| animal flotsam curtain burglar vigour |
vowel problem dependant modern injure |
devil denim dependent sulphur standard |
petrol quantum raisin satyr history |
awful venom season author anger |
2. Write these words without spelling post-accentual shwa, noting the repeated consonants:
| maximum | consonant | conjuror | February | linen |
3. Write these words without spelling post-accentual shwa, noting the palatalized consonants:
| special mission |
politician condition |
proficient crucifixion |
suspicion picture |
vision seizure |
4. Write these words, applying Rules 1, 2 & 3.1:
| lacquer difficult measure channel written innovation |
pressure differ smaller thicker chattels supplement |
banner different bigger thicken battles straightened |
pennant sufficient beggar thickener battlement corrosion |
mirror scissors builder bottom cotton addition |
7.5 Rule 3.2 Exercises.
1. Write these words without unstressed E and simplify any doubled consonants:| baited rooted hisses |
raided hooded losses |
conceited pushes gases |
heeded pouches coldest |
loaded bridges lushest |
2. Write these words, applying Rules 1, 2 & 3.2:
| biggest embedded |
sweated congresses |
touches discusses |
catches discuses |
guarded fittest |
7.6 GH.
1. Write these words omitting GH:| naughty weight | straight drought |
onslaught bough | plough taught |
neigh sleigh |
2. Write these words omitting GH and any other redundant letters according to Rules 1, 2 & 3:
| daughter | through | although | neighbour | brought |
3. Write these words with F instead of GH and without any other redundant letters according to rules 1, 2 & 3:
| laughter | enough | cough | draughtsman | tough |
4. Write these words without G:
| bright | high | mighty | midnight | alright |
5. Write these words omitting G and any other redundant letters in accordance with rules 1, 2 & 3.
| height | shipwright | frightened | eyesight | slightest |
6. Write these words omitting letters in accordance with all the above rules and patterns:
| rougher eighty |
farsighted slaughter |
heighten sleighbell |
draughty sought-after |
frightful well-thought-of |
7.7 PH.
1. Write these words with F instead of PH where appropriate:| telephone atmosphere |
photograph philosophy |
physics nephew |
uphold pharmacy |
elephant phrase |
2. Write these words with F instead of PH where appropriate, and omit other letters in accordance with all the above rules and patterns:
| phantom | upheaval | physical | shepherd | orphan |
7.8 QU.
Write these words without U after Q and omit other letters in accordance with all the above rules and patterns:| quite equal | quiet conqueror |
question mosquito | queue unique |
acquaint opaque |
7.9 Doubtful cases.
Consider how and whether the following might be cut:| great fatal borough |
break penal thorough |
broad final dough |
group total conscientious |
sign comb squirrel |
7.10 Transcription exercise.
Write the following text in Cut Spelling:The Japanese have two ways of writing many of their words: they can write a character for each syllable, or a single logograph for the whole word. The latter system, it has been found, is read faster. Why should this be? Consider the physiology of reading: the eye moves along the line of script not smoothly, but in jerks (fixations), and at each fixation the brain registers only that segment of text that falls within the angle of vision. If words are shorter, more of them will tend to fall within the scope of each fixation, which should make reading quicker. Harder to assess however is whether there is any psycho logical obstacle to digesting more meaning per second.
Reading of course is only one aspect of literacy. The benefits of a more economical script for the writer are easier to calculate. If 10% fewer letters are needed, then writing will be that much faster; and if spelling is more regular, there will be fewer errors and less recourse to the dictionary. When these words come to be printed, there will be similar savings on paper, the amount of space the paper takes up, the amount of energy required for making paper, printing and transport. Public sign-boards will no longer need to be so big, as many place-names will be shorter, sometimes sensationally. If the city of Leicester only ever used the spelling 'Lestr', the gains might even be measurable in the rate-payers' pockets.
8 Key to CS Exercises.
Please note that a number of problematic forms are included in the answers (with a few alternative forms), which it is hoped will provoke discussion.| 7.2.1 | plat rath thret eir wite asent >bor gard cort pece centr |
caos erth climat wich frend yoman rythm seze turky heald com |
gage doctrinair sergent campain helpd gost hole dy saphire iland shon |
bazar dout bom zar badg citis frenzid juce windo camuflage wer |
hart beuty clorine heroin peple obvius wy curtesy pece nome serv |
| 7.2.2 | hor ile tomain tong shud |
porpos y convales foren trubl |
weit sam sycology cor caut |
cupl hansom wensday medo aquisitiv |
siv jurny bou sutl jelus |
| 7.2.3 | autm bild plese dubl |
curage weez/weze exaustiv blagard |
janury musl condemd strait |
drout tortos pharo cubord |
nelt kidny sycotic ocen |
| 7.3.1 | rabit ajust oportunity buz acomodate amonite asimilate comitee suport masacre |
ocur sak er abreviate aford anotate atribute conexion ad irelevant |
ad al fus accept agravate apetite ilusion inocent fiz conoiseur |
cuf anul atire acount ajudicate iradiate paralel exagerate apaling unatural |
eg chopy exept adict aleviate exite in corupt fuly wory |
| 7.3.2 | fulfild hemorage reumatism aknoledg alowd |
apl succes inocuus marid bacic |
holy paraleld sisors rubl adresd |
travler apropriat winy posesiv tapd |
pilo likd fury valy sizl |
| 7.4.1 | animl flotsm curtn burglr vigr |
vowl problm dependnt modrn injr |
devl denm dependnt sulphr standrd |
petrl quantin raisn satr histry | awfl venm seasn authr angr |
| 7.4.2 | maximm | consonnt | conjrr | febrry | linn |
| 7.4.3 | specl misn | politicn conditn |
proficnt crucifixn |
suspicn pictr |
visn seizr/sezre |
| 7.4.4 | lacr banr mesr chanl ritn inovatn |
presr pennt smalr thikr chatls suplemnt |
dificit mirr bigr thikn batis straitnd |
difr suficnt begr thiknr batlmnt corosn |
difrnt sisrs bildr botm cotn aditn |
| 7.5.1 | baitd rootd hiss | raidd hoodd loss |
conceitd pushs gass | heedd pouchs coldst |
loadd bridgs lushst |
| 7.5.2 | bigst embedd | swetd congress |
tuchs discuss | cachs discuss |
gardd fitst |
| 7.6.1 | nauty weit | strait drout |
onslaut bou | plou taut |
nei slei |
| 7.6.2 | dautr | thru | altho | neibr | brot |
| 7.6.3 | laftr | enuf | cof | draftsman | tuf |
| 7.6.4 | briht | hih | mihty | midniht | alriht |
| 7.6.5 | hiht | shipriht | frihtnd | ysiht | slihtst |
| 7.6.6 | rufr eity | farsihtd slautr | hihtn sleibel |
drafty sot-aftr | frihtfl wel-thot-of |
| 7.7.1 | telefone atmosfere | fotograf filosofy |
fysics nefew | uphold farmacy |
elefnt frase |
| 7.7.2 | fantm | upheavl | fysicl | sheprd | orfn |
| 7.8 | qite eqal | qiet conqrr | qestn mosqito |
qu uniqe | aqaint opaqe |
| 7.9 | gret fatal boro | brek penal thoro |
brod final doh | grup total concientius |
sign comb sqirel |
7.10.
Th Japnese hav t(w?)o ways of riting many of ther words: they can rite a caractr for each sylbl, or a singl logograf for th hole word. Th latr systm, it has been found, is red fastr. Wy shud this be? Considr th fysiology of reading: th y moves along th line of script not smoothly, but in jerks (fixatns), and at each fixatn th brain registrs only that segmnt of text that fals within th angl of visn. If words ar shortr, mor of them wil tend to fal within th scope of each fixatn, wich shud make reading qikr. Hardr to ases howevr is wethr ther is any sycologicl obstcl to digesting mor meaning per secnd.Back to the top.
Reading of cors is only one aspect of litracy. Th benefits of a mor economicl script for th riter ar easir to calculate. If 10% fewr letrs ar needd, then riting wil be that much fastr; and if speling is mor regulr, ther wil be fewr errs and les recors to th dictnry. Wen these words com to be printd, ther wit be similr savings on paper, th amount of space th paper takes up, th amount of energy reqired for making paper, printing and transport. Public sign-bords wit no longr need to be so big, as many place-names wil be shortr, somtimes sensatnly. If th city of Lestr only evr used th speling 'Lestr', th gains miht even be mesrbl in th rate-payrs pokets.