Sometimes spelling and pronouncing English words can be difficult, especially as a second language. I usually have few problems, but that is because I've had to deal with English's idiosyncrasies (which it owes to its diverse roots) since birth.

On the other hand, I took three years of Spanish classes in high school, and while I remember only enough to barely read and write simple sentences with difficulty, I have been able to pronounce and spell any Spanish word since the second year, this owing to Spanish's straightforward spelling and pronunciation rules.

It would seem to me that it wouldn't be too hard to transition English and its speaking population from its confusing hodgepodge of spelling and pronunciation rules (I use the word "rules" lightly, as there are as many or more exceptions than there are rules) to simple rules more akin to that of Spanish. That would make things easier for both first and second language speakers and students. Then (than?) we can work on our stupid homophones and grammar weirdness.
-- Spacecoyote, Oct 17 2008

A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling http://www.i18nguy.com/twain.html
by Mark Twain, or maybe just attributed to him. [jutta, Oct 17 2008]

More about the history and authorship... http://www.spelling...als/j31/satires.php
... than you wanted to know, I'm sure, but I tend to eat this stuff up. Plus, it actually talks about Spanish spelling specifically, at the end. [jutta, Oct 17 2008]

It's too tough to plough through English? I agree (*cough* *cough*). You ought to have an invention, though, not just sough on about it. You can't slough that off like old bread dough, or it's all for nought.
-- baconbrain, Oct 17 2008


Oye, [Spacecoyote]. Como va?
-- normzone, Oct 17 2008


Turkish, actually is another language worth looking at. It was given a straightening-out back when Ataturk was running around straightening-out things.

But overall, this should probably be [m-f-d] as it sounds like a general complaint, not an idea. Not that I disagree necessarily, it's just what every english speaker thinks once they start learning a more phonetic and structured language.

But on the other side, one of English's perks is that it is very organic, and pulling in bits of spanish or french or german is completely natural. So possibly English already is the perfect language, since it contains so many other nicely organized languages, albeit in a bit of a jumble.
-- mylodon, Oct 18 2008


This reminds be of a joke we have about Jizro Airport, which is sort of like the salady shreddy mayonnaisey stuff which we assume is Polish and pronounce "Tsolesslaf"

Spanish spelling can't be used for English because it has different phonemes, and in particular because it doesn't have a schwa or tonic and atonic versions of words like we have. I always think the best thing would bi tu geo bæc tu ængleosæxen wiþ e fiu modifficeiscens.

[UnaBubba], Finnish is of course the GOD LANGUAGE, and actually let's forget about spelling reform in English and just force everyone to speak Finnish instead.

It would also mean separate dialects would become separate languages, so Strine and Redneck would become completely incomprehensible to each other.
-- nineteenthly, Oct 18 2008


Indonesian has a very simple spelling and pronunciation system, but seems limited in the number of short words available. It has to build up new and nuance words through prefixes and suffixes.
-- baconbrain, Oct 18 2008


//If it wasn't so difficult I'd find it quite easy.//
[marked- for-tagline]
-- neelandan, Oct 18 2008



random, halfbakery