My older sister was taught that if it sounds correct, to use it. So if she were to give directions to drive somewhere, she made jot down, turn write at the next corner, where my response would be, we need more paper for that. She never gets the joke.
I hate the English silent-e!! Time to unveil stage 3 of my proposal for English spelling reform (drumroll please): 3) move all silent E’s next to the vowel they modify unless made unnecessary by changes to the base vowel.
Examples: “I haet the English silent-e!! Tiem to unveil staej 3 of my proposal for English spelling reform (drumroll pleez). . .”
(Staej 1 is the total obliteration of GH from English spelling. Staej 2 deals with initial silent letters except where historically established such as in psych-iatry. Staejes 4 and up are left to the student as an exersiez.)
It’s a conspiracy, kid, by all the English teachers in the WORLD, so as to toughen you up. (Yes, the world is crazy, and crazy-making, and really good at it.)
As I understand it, early printers like William Caxton pronounced the silent e where it appears, and a hard g and aspirated h in words like “tough,” per the local dialect in their corner of England. Sometimes for fun I pronounce every letter (but not while trying to communicate with anyone who has received the Received Pronunciation, the dialect that won out for spoken English).
From what I understand, those letters weren’t originally silent, but pronounced. That is true in German. Both the k and the n are pronounce in words that use them. The same can be said about the “pf” combination. And the esset letter which is represented by the capital Greek letter “B” is sometimes shown as a sz combination.
Liverlips McCracken Premium Member almost 5 years ago
But if we didn’t have silent letters, imagine how …. um, …. hard it would be to say “tough.”
x_Tech almost 5 years ago
And people wonder why I can’t spel.
Gary Fabian almost 5 years ago
My older sister was taught that if it sounds correct, to use it. So if she were to give directions to drive somewhere, she made jot down, turn write at the next corner, where my response would be, we need more paper for that. She never gets the joke.
pschearer Premium Member almost 5 years ago
I hate the English silent-e!! Time to unveil stage 3 of my proposal for English spelling reform (drumroll please): 3) move all silent E’s next to the vowel they modify unless made unnecessary by changes to the base vowel.
Examples: “I haet the English silent-e!! Tiem to unveil staej 3 of my proposal for English spelling reform (drumroll pleez). . .”
(Staej 1 is the total obliteration of GH from English spelling. Staej 2 deals with initial silent letters except where historically established such as in psych-iatry. Staejes 4 and up are left to the student as an exersiez.)
karmakat01 almost 5 years ago
honestly…I admit that they give me HECK OF PROBLEMS TOO…or pronunciation of the H in general.
david_42 almost 5 years ago
Be happy you aren’t French.
Al Nala almost 5 years ago
It’s a conspiracy, kid, by all the English teachers in the WORLD, so as to toughen you up. (Yes, the world is crazy, and crazy-making, and really good at it.)
NobodyAwesome Premium Member almost 5 years ago
English is the only(?) language in the world with a spelling bee. All other languages are quite phonetic, or at least consistent.
gcarlson almost 5 years ago
As I understand it, early printers like William Caxton pronounced the silent e where it appears, and a hard g and aspirated h in words like “tough,” per the local dialect in their corner of England. Sometimes for fun I pronounce every letter (but not while trying to communicate with anyone who has received the Received Pronunciation, the dialect that won out for spoken English).
banjinshiju almost 5 years ago
From what I understand, those letters weren’t originally silent, but pronounced. That is true in German. Both the k and the n are pronounce in words that use them. The same can be said about the “pf” combination. And the esset letter which is represented by the capital Greek letter “B” is sometimes shown as a sz combination.
gregcartoon Premium Member almost 5 years ago
I think lots of us here would enjoy a read (or re-read) of Bill Bryson’s ‘Mother Tongue’ It explains a lot of the crazy in our language.
https://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Tongue/dp/B014VDA45C/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=CjwKCAjwue3nBRACEiwAkpZhmamraEhRFEDLbK6EG674zDxFxaz8KsInghaCdsErZzUvHPieW4AjHRoCz4gQAvD_BwE&hvadid=241606207137&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9013522&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=13393263410135855465&hvtargid=aud-676677759524%3Akwd-1838896418&hydadcr=22565_10355050&keywords=mother+tongue+bill+bryson&qid=1560020189&s=gateway&sr=8-1