Does Spelling Matter?

This book narrates the history of English spelling from the Anglo-Saxons to the present-day, charting the various changes that have taken place and the impact these have had on the way we spell today. While good spelling is seen as socially and educationally desirable, many people struggle to spell common words like accommodate, occurrence, dependent. Is it our spelling system that is to blame, and should we therefore reform English spelling to make it easier to learn? Or are such calls for change further evidence of the dumbing-down of our educational standards, also witnessed by the tolerance of poor spelling in text-messaging and email? This book evaluates such views by considering previous attempts to reform the spelling of English and other languages, while also looking critically at claims that the electronic age heralds the demise of correct spelling. Cover 1 Contents 8 List of figures 9 Phonetic symbols 10 1 Introduction 12 2 Writing systems 27 3 Beginnings 50 4 Invasion and revision 88 5 Renaissance and reform 120 6 Fixing spelling 155 7 American spelling 196 8 Spelling today and tomorrow 223 Further reading 264 Bibliography 267 Word Index 272 A 272 B 272 C 273 D 273 E 274 F 274 G 274 H 275 I 275 J 275 K 275 L 276 M 276 N 276 O 276 P 276 Q 277 R 277 S 277 T 278 U 278 V 279 W 279 Y 279 Z 279 Subject Index 280 A 280 B 280 C 280 D 280 E 280 F 280 G 280 H 280 I 281 J 281 L 281 M 281 O 281 P 281 R 281 S 281 T 281 U 281 V 281 W 281 Y 281 This title narrates the history of English spelling from the Anglo-Saxons to the present-day. It also examines the changing attitudes to spelling, including numerous proposals for spelling reform, ranging from the introduction of new alphabets to more modest attempts to rid English of its silent letters, and the differing agendas they reveal. This book narrates the history of English spelling from the Anglo-Saxons to the present-day. It also examines the changing attitudes to spelling, including numerous proposals for spelling reform, ranging from the introduction of new alphabets to more modest attempts to rid English of its silent letters, and the differing agendas they reveal.