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PV13. TYPES AND MAGNITUDE OF ENGLISH SPELLING PROBLEMS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR REFORM by Masha Bell, part 2.

OTHER GOOD CANDIDATES FOR REFORM.

Constant doubling cuts across most consonant phonemes. Apart from the doubling problem, consonants are spelt relatively consistently. Vowel patterns have more exceptions, and 5 vowel phonemes have very large numbers of exceptions. They are listed below.

The EE-sound stands out above the rest. "Consistent spelling of the EE-sound with 'ee'" would eliminate the need to memorise how this sound is spelt in one of 426 words; 125 words spell this sound unambiguously with 'ee' already, but learners get no clue as to which words use this spelling.

The sound also occurs in 57 heterographs (e.g. feet - feat, heel - heal, teem - team). This is far more than for any other sound. Heterographs epitomise English spelling unpredictability and are utterly unnecessary, as our ability to cope with over 1000 heteronyms of the 'bank', 'bar' or 'right' variety clearly show. Nobody is clamouring to have at least 5 different spelling for the 5 meanings of 'bar' (e.g. public bar, bar of soap, iron bar, called to the bar, all bar one).

301 words spell the EE-sound with one of the 5 main divergent graphemes. There are also a few utterly unpredictably ones.

The biggest group is the 136 words on the 'ea' pattern. This pattern is particularly ripe for eliminating because it commonly spells other sounds as well (e.g. head, bear, great).

appeal beach beacon bead beak beam bean beast beat beaver beneath bleach bleak bleat breathe cease cheap cheat clean colleague conceal creak cream crease creature deal dean defeat disease dream each eager eagle ease east eat eaves feast feat flea gleam glean grease heal heap heat heath heathen heave increase jeans knead lead (vb) leaf league leak lean leap least leave meagre meal mean measles meat neat ordeal peace peach peak peal peanut peat plead please pleat preach reach read reap reason release repeat retreat reveal scream seal seam season seat sheaf sheath sneak speak squeak squeal steal steam streak stream teach teak team tease treacle treason treat veal weasel weave wheat wreath yeast zeal pea plea sea tea guinea-pig appear beard clear dear dreary ear fear gear hear near rear sear shear smear spear tear* weary

84 words spell the EE-sound on the 'e-consonant- vowel' pattern.

adhere adhesive arena athlete cafeteria cedar cereal chameleon Chinese comedian compete complete concrete convene convenient decent demon equal era eve even evil experience exterior extreme female fever frequent genie genius here hero hyena imperial Indonesian inferior ingredient interference intermediate Japanese legal legion lenient lever material medium mere meteor metre millipede mysterious obedient period persevere peter polythene precede query recent recess region scene scheme sequence sequin series serum severe sincere species sphere stampede strategic superior supreme swede tedious theme these torpedo trapeze vehicle Venus zero + ?? theory

31 words use 'ie',

23 'i- cons'nt-vowel' pattern,

12 'ei' and

14 have assorted spellings.

achieve belief believe brief chief diesel field fiend fierce grief grieve hygiene medieval niece piece pier pierce priest relief relieve shield shriek siege thief thieve tier wield yield cavalier chandelier frontier antique bikini fatigue guillotine kiosk kiwi machine magazine margarine marine mosquito pizza plasticine police prestige ravine regime sardine tangerine trampoline trio unique vaseline ceiling conceit conceive deceit deceive protein receipt receive seize sheikh weir weird be he me she we key ski quay cathedral secret souvenir people suite debris

Only 7 words with the EE-sound are less amenable to reform because of pronunciation differences between different countries: chlorine, geyser, iodine, microfiche, glockenspiel, either, neither.
Two other words - 'theology', 'theatre' - are perhaps best left alone too.

As can be seen in the summary, there are another 4 problems with large numbers of exceptions to learn.
The -er and -en endings, the stressed -er- sound and the long A-sound.

The 75 '-or' endings make good candidates for bringing into line with the '-er' pattern.

actor advisor alligator ambassador ancestors anchor assessor author boaconstrictor calculator castor conductor conveyor corridor decorator demonstrator director doctor editor elevator emperor equator error escalator factor gladiator governor indicator interior inventor investors junior juror legislator liquor major manor mayor minor mirror monitor motor navigator operator orator prior professor proprietor radiator razor rector refrigerator respirator rotor scissors senator senior sensors spectator sponsor successor superior supervisor surveyor survivor tailor tenor terror tractor traitor solicitor tutor victor visitor warrior

30 of the 33 '-ar' could also easily be '-er' instead. The last (vulgar) had better not become 'vulger'.
'Sugar' and 'vicar' both have other unpredictable elements in them, apart from their '-ar' endings.

angular burglar caterpillar cellar circular collar dollar familiar grammar jaguar liar linear lunar muscular nectar nuclear particular peculiar pillar polar poplar popular radar regular scholar secular similar sitar solar spectacular sugar vicar vulgar

The 18 UK '-our' endings are already spelt '-or' in the US, but should really also have '-er' endings.

armour behaviour colour favour flavour glamour harbour honour humour labour neighbour odour parlour rumour saviour savour splendour tumour

7 words with '-re' endings in the UK have already been made more sensible in the US.

centre theatre fibre ogre metre kilometre sabre (cf.barometer)

3 words have exceptional endings: martyr, jodhpurs, chauffeur.

While the above 134 endings (US 127) which diverge from the more common '-er' pattern could easily be made to conform to it, the 42 '-ure' and 47 '-a' endings seem less amenable to reform.

42 '-ure' endings.

adventure agriculture architecture capture caricature conjure creature culture departure expenditure exposure failure feature figure fissure fracture furniture future gesture injure lecture legislature leisure literature manufacture measure miniature mixture nature picture pleasure pressure procedure puncture scripture signature structure temperature torture treasure venture vulture

47 words have '-a' endings.

algebra area armada Asia banana camera capita china cobra data dilemma drama era extra formula gondola gorilla idea India lava llama militia Mongolia nebula orchestra panda phenomena piazza piranha pizza pneumonia propaganda pupa quota replica spectra stigma strata tarantula tiara tundra umbrella utopia veranda via yoga zebra

70 words with the stressed '-er' sound of 'her', 'herb', 'herd' have 124 alternative spellings.

absurd blur burden burglar burgle burial burly burn burst church churn curl curse curt curve disturb excursion fur furnish further gurgle hurdle hurl hurt hurtle lurch lurk murder murmur nasturtium nurse nursery occur purchase purple purpose purr purse return slur spur spurn spurt sturdy surf surface surge surgeon surgery surplus survey* vb Thursday topsy-turvy turban turf turkey turmoil turn turnip turtle urban urchin urge urn yurt

birch bird birth chirp circle circuit circular circumstances circus dirt firm first flirt girder girdle fir girl mirth shirk shirt sir skirmish skirt smirk squirm squirt stir swirl third thirst thirty twirl virtually virtue whirl whir

earl early earn earnest earth heard learn pearl rehearse search yearn were word work world worm worse worship worst worth attorney courtesy journal journey

The 131 exceptions to the 73 words with '-en' endings (abdomen, open) are also numerous, but somehow less obviously reformable, perhaps because many of the words are not very common.

abandon apron baron baton bison carbon carton cauldron common cordon cotton

coupon crayon crimson damson demon dungeon electron gallon heron horizon iron

jettison lemon lesson luncheon mason matron melon mutton nylon pardon person

pigeon piston poison prison pylon python reason reckon ribbon salmon Saxon

season sermon siphon skeleton summon surgeon treason truncheon venison wanton weapon

badminton chameleon comparison phenomenon bacon beacon dragon flagon octagon pentagon wagon

Alsatian amphibian cardigan Christian civilian comedian Dalmatian historian hooligan Indonesian magician

metropolitan musician ocean optician orang-utan organ orphan partisan pedestrian pelican republican

Roman rowan ruffian slogan suburban tartan toucan turban urban utopian vegetarian

veteran woman aspirin basin bulletin cabin catkin coffin cousin dolphin

gherkin goblin javelin origin paraffin penguin pumpkin raisin robin satin sequin

tarpaulin urchin vermin bargain captain certain fountain mountain porcelain villain

The exceptional spellings for the long A-sound are slightly less numerous, but perhaps better candidates for reform. After EE, this is the long vowel with most exceptions. It is also less problematic than long I, O OO or U because the sound occurs very infrequently before consonant blends, e.g. 'kind'. Its pronunciation is also fairly uniform throughout the English speaking world.

abstain afraid aid ail aim ain't ascertain assail attain available await bait braid brain campaign chain chilblain claim

cocktail complain contain daily daisy detail detain drain exclaim explain fail gain grain hail jail laid maid mail

maim main nails obtain paid pail pain plaice plain praise prevail proclaim raid rail rain raise raisin refrain

remain retail retain sail slain snail sprain stain straight strain straits sustain tail tailor trail trailer train trainers

traitor vain wail wait waiter mayonnaise entertainment acquaint dainty faint faith maintain paint quaint saint waist deign

eight feign neighbour reign reindeer reins skein veil vein weight freight break great steak champagne halfpenny fete dahlia

The most numerous divergent spellings are connected with the letter E, i.e. EE, -er, -en. It might therefore be an idea to have a reform package which includes making the stressed short E-sound consistent as well, although it is irregular in just 62 words.

bread breadth breakfast breast breath cleanliness cleanse dead deaf dealt death dread dreamt endeavour feather head health heather instead lead* leant leapt leather meant measure read* realm spread stealthy sweat thread threat treacherous treadmill treasure wealth weather against every friend leisure* said says Wednesday heaven heavy jealous meadow peasant pheasant pleasant ready steady weapon zealous already any bury heifer jeopardy leopard many

16 words above (and perhaps 'heaven' and 'heavy' too) should really gain a doubled consonant as well. Introducing this with just those words, in addition to cutting surplus doubled consonants (page 5) might be a gentle way of moving towards thoroughly consistent consonant doubling.

A reform centred on the letter E could include cutting redundant final '-e' as well (give, more, deliberate - as adjective).

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