Remind me not to complain about Hawaiian's exceptions

[Mt_Rider]

https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-english-spelling-system-so-weird-and-inconsistent?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

Wow.....just in the first paragraph, the exceptions in English spelling are noteworthy.  HOW did we ever learn all that as native speakers.....let alone everyone who learns as 2nd or 3rd  or 4th ... language???? 

 

My new, eleven year old daughter summed it up long, long ago.....while we studied her spelling words like "neighbor".  Circles her finger around her ear and says "English crazy"!!

 

  ...true!   

 

Korean spelling was reported by them to be so sensible that no one takes spelling class after third grade.  At MY age, I'm STILL learning how to spell words in English!  I LOVE spell-check!!

 

MtRider    ....Supercalifragilisticexpialidotious!   

[Jeepers]

I don't know how ESL students ever learn to spell some of our words.  

 

I think the hardest would be Welsh. Have you ever seen some of their words? 

 

I still spell 'doesn't' wrong half of the time. The other half of the time I get it correct though.  

 

Why are some letters silent? If they are silent then leave them out. Example. Knife. I know grammar and punctuation a lot better than I write it. Thank goodness. But in casual conversation and message boards I'd rather write the way I speak to better get my tone across. 

 

I wish we spelled more fo-net-ick-lee. 

[Midnightmom]

17 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Example. Knife.

 

The "silent e" makes the "i" say its long sound (eye) instead of its soft one (ih). The more interesting thing about this word is, WHY the "silent K?"