Words that should be respelt

[Kingswood]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

You're right about my math analogy being incorrect, but I don't understand how your idea to improve literacy by dumbing down spelling is going to improve much. Why not improve teaching methods, instead?

No teaching method can give a student the ability to spell an unfamiliar word reliably.

Originally Posted by Kitsune

You're trying to alter something that has slowly evolved and changed over centuries overnight and you don't think there will be side damaging effects?

I am not trying to alter anything. I'm merely pointing out a few of the more bizarrely-spelt words in the overgrown garden that is English orthography and suggesting that they could do with a better spelling.

Originally Posted by Kitsune

You still haven't addressed the issue of what dialect/accent we're going to standardize on, either. How is that going to be decided, or should we simply allow anyone to select whatever version of a word they desire?

All I did was post a few words that could do with better spellings. I don't see why I must also post a dissertation on these other topics. Do you plan to explain why all existing spellings must be preserved, why they are the best ones available, and why all such spellings must remain in the orthography in perpetuity?

As for selection of spellings, that already happens with many words. Colour/color, centre/center, zeros/zeroes, flamingos/flamingoes.

Originally Posted by Kitsune

No, but any "rezoomay" that ends up on my desk with spellings like you suggest is going right in the trash, as in any business related e-mail that begins with "let me ax you a question".

Do you also discard those that don't spell that word exactly as "résumé" with the proper acute accents over both es? Or are you more tolerant?