Spelling Dearest
The Down and Dirty, Nitty-Gritty History of English Spelling
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Part Of The Book’s Introduction
Contrary to what some might think, not all countries of the world have multitudes of children with serious spelling problems. For instance, children from countries with phonetic spelling systems (i.e., systems with words spelled the way they sound) have very little difficulty learning to spell. As a matter of fact, in countries such as
Here, in direct contrast, are a few of the endless list of things that make spelling difficult for our children. We have too many silent consonants such as the l in walk and the t in mortgage; we have too many illogical vowel combinations such as the ai in said and the eau in bureau; we have too many double letters such as the double p in sapphire and the double u in vacuum; we have too many words that sound the same but are spelled differently, such as rain, rein, and reign; and we have more than our share of words that sound different but are spelled the same, such as tear (eye fluid) and tear (to rip apart). Additionally, we have an overabundance of nuisance spellings such as colonel, queue, and choir, which have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
On top of that, we have a gross excess of differing spellings for each of the sounds we have. The sh sound, for instance, has 19 spellings, including ss in issue, sc in crescendo, ch in chute, ce in ocean, and a single t in negotiate. There are 42 different sounds in our language and we, in our inexhaustible capacity for innovation, have invented over 400 ways to spell them. That’s an average of 10 spellings for every sound. No wonder millions of schoolchildren throughout the English-speaking world are confused on a daily basis. We have far too many rules and far too many exceptions to these rules, and too many people saying, “all you have to do to be able to spell is learn the rules.” That’s way too many things wrong with any subject.
If our complex spelling system only affected people’s ability to spell, that would be bad enough. Unfortunately, though, our spelling system also plays a considerable role in the high number of adult functional illiterates in the
All right, so our complex spelling system is greatly to blame for our poor spelling and reading abilities — but who or what is to blame for the complex spelling system, and how did it become as bad as it is? The answer to these and many other important questions can be found, along with an Anglo-Saxon recipe for barbecued missionary, in the history that’s about to unfold.
Part Of Chapter 5
The Complicated Middle Of Middle English
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About the Book
Most people with any interest in the English language know that it has the worst alphabetic spelling system in the world. What they don’t know in any great detail, however, is how this sorry situation came about. They don’t know, for instance, that a 17th-century English schoolmaster named Edmund Coote had a major role. And they might be surprised at the parts played by greed, intentional complexity, and downright blunders.
With this in mind, Niall McLeod Waldman has written Spelling Dearest. This book chronicles, in an irreverent and satirical way, the major happenings and minor annoyances that together form the history of English spelling.
Spelling Dearest brings together many of the shocking facts and dirty little secrets surrounding English spelling. Good spellers will be intrigued by thought-provoking background information on a subject they encounter and conquer each day. Bad spellers will feel empowered when they discover, it took multiple mistakes and missed opportunities by well-respected people to create a spelling system as complicated as ours. Parents and teachers of poor spellers will feel relief and sympathy when they realize, it’s not the children’s fault they can’t spell. It’s the fault of our needlessly complex spelling system.
Despite its serious subject matter, Spelling Dearest is down-to-earth, entertaining, and engaging. A great read for English language and history buffs.
Reviews & Comments
“Amazing! Waldman’s treatment of a motley millennium of English spelling is fast & furious, pithy & profound.”
Joe Little, Managing Director, American Literacy Council
“Woldmin’s acownt of the historee and horrurs of Inglish spelin is troolay brilyant — a wittay, sparklin jem ov a boock.”
Daniel McGowan, Author of Going Mental and Constructive Awareness
“Too sophisticated for a mainstream commercial publisher.”
John F. Thornton, The Spieler Agency
About the Author
Niall McLeod Waldman was born and educated in
Spelling Dearest is the author’s first book. His lengthy association with literacy and simplified-spelling organizations, coupled with ten years of research, prepared him well for this subject. Niall is an active member of ALC (American Literacy Council) and SSS (Simplified Spelling Society).
The skillfully illustrated pen and ink sketches found throughout this book were created by the author. His artwork has been featured in many publications, and appears in public and private collections around the world.