If you want to write a language the way you hear it, try learning Malay-Indonesian or Esperanto. Apparently Russian is pretty consisten as well.
A lot of jokes are made about English spelling, in fact whole humorous poems are written about English spelling, challenging anybody who does not speak English.
When I used to consider this question of irregular English spelling, and how it fails to match what is said, especially after I was asked by pupils, I used to condiser the cause was the variety of languages which ae the source.
Now I have a different theory to include in my repertoire of reasons. The Wikipedia explanation goes on for ages and is very complicated. To sum it up in no more than a sentence or two: In the Middle ages pronounciation changed, possibly after French influence declined. Wards caused anti-French feeling and words were given Anglicised pronounciation. Howere, the old spelling was retained. Look at it another way, pronunciation changed but spelling did not change.
Now you know. if you are trying to understand others, or to teach English in an overseas country, here are your points of reference.
Simple Wiki is too simple. Just a couple of setnences. It gives the authors who are the source of this theory, and the time period when the change allegedly occurred, but does not give any examples.
More Information From
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker, teacher and trainer, specilist in the English language, aspiring polyglot (speaker of many languages).
A lot of jokes are made about English spelling, in fact whole humorous poems are written about English spelling, challenging anybody who does not speak English.
When I used to consider this question of irregular English spelling, and how it fails to match what is said, especially after I was asked by pupils, I used to condiser the cause was the variety of languages which ae the source.
Now I have a different theory to include in my repertoire of reasons. The Wikipedia explanation goes on for ages and is very complicated. To sum it up in no more than a sentence or two: In the Middle ages pronounciation changed, possibly after French influence declined. Wards caused anti-French feeling and words were given Anglicised pronounciation. Howere, the old spelling was retained. Look at it another way, pronunciation changed but spelling did not change.
Now you know. if you are trying to understand others, or to teach English in an overseas country, here are your points of reference.
Simple Wiki is too simple. Just a couple of setnences. It gives the authors who are the source of this theory, and the time period when the change allegedly occurred, but does not give any examples.
More Information From
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker, teacher and trainer, specilist in the English language, aspiring polyglot (speaker of many languages).
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