Blackwell Reference Online

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A deliberate change in the grapheme—phoneme correspondences of a language. The rationale of spelling reforms is to make spelling more regular and transparent and thus easier to learn. The fact that they have to be accepted by readers and writers who have mastered the existing system has frustrated many reform proposals. For the generation that has to implement the reform it implies more inconvenience than relief. Consequently, reform projects are often protracted by endless discussion and eventually lead to nothing. E nglish spelling has never been fundamentally reformed, although it could undoubtedly be much simpler and more linguistically appropriate. Numerous proposals for a better spelling have, therefore, been advanced during the past three centuries by individuals as well as several learned societies, notably the (British) Simplified Spelling Society and the (American) Simplified Spelling Board. The only noticeable modification of English spelling was achieved in the wake of the American Revolution as an act of linguistic nationalism: Noah W ebster's rules for American spelling. However, Webster's simplifications were superficial, leaving many of the underlying structural problems of the spelling system untouched. These problems reflect the fact that the system is based on a number of different, sometimes conflicting, principles. Grapheme—phoneme correspondences are obscured ... log in or subscribe to read full text