Words that you tend to misspel mispell misspell

[qspeechc]

I don't know why you are so very eager to get me to say it is a rule. Ok then, here it is: it's a rule. If it isn't a rule, it's as near as makes no difference. I suppose you want me to say it's a rule so you can say all rules are broken in English. Apparently not this one.

Why is the idea that ghoti can be pronounced as fish so striking? Precisely because no English-speaking person would ever pronounce it like that, and for precisely the reasons I gave.
No one has ever looked at ghetto and thought "Ah, fetto!" No one has ever looked at tight and though "Ah, sht!"

I suppose you think it isn't a rule because no one has stated it as rule in any grammar book or whatever as arule. No, indeed, it has not been set down in any book as a rule that a gh at the beginning of a word can never have the f sound, probably because it's too bleeding obvious (the same with ti). If we have to set down every last rule about language on paper we end up with an impossibly large book.

I am saying this: that for a very long time, and without a single exception, those two "rules", if you like, have stood and never been broken, not once. Nobody even thinks of them any other way. It makes perfect sense to continue using these rules.

You are saying we should break both those rules, and in two instances, with both gh and ti, start using them in a way that has never been done before, even though we have a perfectly good way to do it: fish. You seem to be saying "Why not? So what if it hasn't been done before?" Do you have any reason for doing so, other than simply to be perverse? You will be consciously increasing the randomness and difficulty of English spelling for no good reason. Why?

I don't know why I have had to repeat myself so many times on this.

If you want to multiply the difficulties of English spelling then you are welcome to cut such a path.
...
Nevertheless, if anyone wants to complicate English spelling for no good reason he is welcome to do so. Don't expect me to be a follower.

I thought your point was that English spelling is odd; why make it even worse by creating new things with no precedent?

 

[Ken Natton]

Gspeechc, what you are saying doubtless has some merit, but it is a pity that what was always a tongue-in-cheek thread has taken this turn. DaveC’s post about ghoti being pronounced fish was just a joke and should have been taken as such.

I too disagree with the assertion that ‘learnt’ is particularly British. I would have said that ‘learnt’ is old-fashioned and ‘learned’ is the modern way. But then, goodness knows, there are plenty of other ‘Americanisms’ that are now the common mode in the UK – just another aspect of the general dominance of American culture. British kids used to play cowboys and indians and the only reason they don’t now is because the fashion for such films has passed.

Perhaps the point that is being missed when people complain about some of the strange spellings in English is that the words were not always pronounced as they are now. This whole thing about words like bough and rough is because, at one time, they were pronounced with a much stronger use of the throat, like clearing phlegm. The pronunciation has changed but the spelling hasn’t, that’s all.

And of course none of these things are ‘rules’ they are all just attempts to identify general patterns. As has been said before, you can’t spot a misshapen pear if you don’t know what a pear normally looks like.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

In 2009, ABC News listed 112 different ways to spell Gaddafi

Looks like I can't hit the side of a barn.

 

[DaveC426913]

I don't know why I have had to repeat myself so many times on this.

You have to repeat yourself so many times because you insist on having the exclusive viewpoint on it.

If I say 'x might happen', and you say 'x cannot happen', then your argument attempts to exclude mine. And yours has the onus to defend itself, whereas mine does not.

No, indeed, it has not been set down in any book as a rule that a gh at the beginning of a word can never have the f sound, probably because it's too bleeding obvious

By what logic do you arrive at the conclusion that it is a "bleeding obvious" rule? Is there fine print hidden in the frills of the letter 'g' that I'm not seeing on my monitor?

I would point out (once again) that your first claim was that it can never have that sound unless it's at the end. Which has been shown to be false.

Yet you then turn around and lay claim to "obvious" rules.



q, you're backing a dead horse, but you're too stubborn to concede that you overstated your case.

 

[BobG]

I just found out that I've been misspelling email and cellphone since 3AM EDT, 19 Mar! (http://www.aces2011.org/sessions/18/the-ap-stylebook-editors-visit-aces-2011/ )

Dropping the hyphen in 'e-mail' is a disturbing trend. How long until we drop the 'e', making it impossible to tell if we're reading mail on our computer or mail that was delivered by the postman?

And what's with deleting the space between 'cell' and 'phone'?! Don't they know that space is cheap?! Just look at Detroit! There's all kinds of empty space in Detroit, seeing as how their population has dropped from 2 million to just 700 thousand. You could fit an entire city in the empty space left in Detroit. I think people from Detroit should use two spaces when they spell 'cell phone'!

Edit: PF obviously disagrees with my suggestion, as it won't display extra spaces. Maybe we could just call a cellphone a phone and the other kind of phone a landline.

 

[DaveC426913]

Dropping the hyphen in 'e-mail' is a disturbing trend.

I have an editor friend who has been watching the evolution over the years.
It has gone through distinct phases of correctness:
Electronic Mail
E-mail
e-mail
email


Speaking of which, is anybody else old enough to remember when the correct way to spell today was to-day? That's how they taught us in Grade 1.

 

[nismaratwork]

I just found out that I've been misspelling email and cellphone since 3AM EDT, 19 Mar! (http://www.aces2011.org/sessions/18/the-ap-stylebook-editors-visit-aces-2011/ )

Dropping the hyphen in 'e-mail' is a disturbing trend. How long until we drop the 'e', making it impossible to tell if we're reading mail on our computer or mail that was delivered by the postman?

And what's with deleting the space between 'cell' and 'phone'?! Don't they know that space is cheap?! Just look at Detroit! There's all kinds of empty space in Detroit, seeing as how their population has dropped from 2 million to just 700 thousand. You could fit an entire city in the empty space left in Detroit. I think people from Detroit should use two spaces when they spell 'cell phone'!

Edit: PF obviously disagrees with my suggestion, as it won't display extra spaces. Maybe we could just call a cellphone a phone and the other kind of phone a landline.

Bob... BOB... ejust erelax eman! Eets all goEing to bE alright... E.

 

[nismaratwork]

I have an editor friend who has been watching the evolution over the years.
It has gone through distinct phases of correctness:
Electronic Mail
E-mail
e-mail
email


Speaking of which, is anybody else old enough to remember when the correct way to spell today was to-day? That's how they taught us in Grade 1.

Nope, your butt is ancient.

Hell, I was taught "colour" and "armour", in the USA with no excuse such as age.

 

[Borek]

mail that was delivered by the postman

What's that?

 

[nismaratwork]

What's that?

I think it involved snails and licking pieces of paper. I don't know...

 

[BobG]

I think it involved snails and licking pieces of paper. I don't know...

Mmmmm, licking 2-cent stamps! And then sticking them to the table leg. I could knock off an entire roll of stamps in an afternoon as a pre-schooler!

 

[Borek]

I think it involved snails and licking pieces of paper. I don't know...

Licking paper?

What is it with these people, they will lick everything.

 

[malty]

For some reason every so often I spell "those" as "does" and it annoys the hell out of me when I find my mistake later.

 

[nismaratwork]

Licking paper?

What is it with these people, they will lick everything.

I just lick the keyboard for good luck, yeah it's teeming with bugs, but so what?! *slurp*

 

[DaveC426913]

I just lick the keyboard for good luck, yeah it's teeming with bugs, but so what?! *slurp*

I was going to post a link to the Breyer's Ice Cream ad, but
a] it is not G-rated and arguably NSFW, and
b] it is a hoax.

 

[nismaratwork]

I was going to post a link to the Breyer's Ice Cream ad, but
a] it is not G-rated and arguably NSFW, and
b] it is a hoax.

PM me, I don't mind, and I could use a good laugh.


I just remembered, I can never spell, "cessation" correctly... except this one time where I seem to have done so.

Oh, the rich and bitter irony.

 

[qspeechc]

I won the argument.

[PLAIN]http://www.deviantart.com/download/103449383/I_win_by_peterpandagirl.png

Btw, I'm the chap on top.

 

[lisab]

I won the argument.

Btw, I'm the chap on top.

 

[DaveC426913]

PM me, I don't mind, and I could use a good laugh.

Just Google for the image.

 

[DaveC426913]

I won the argument.

[PLAIN]http://www.deviantart.com/download/103449383/I_win_by_peterpandagirl.png

Btw, I'm the chap on top.

Oof!

 

[nismaratwork]

Awww.. that adorable underbite, those wrinkly foreheads... the cute little dark hairs that stand up when annoyed.

:!)

 

[turbo]

I won the argument.

[PLAIN]http://www.deviantart.com/download/103449383/I_win_by_peterpandagirl.png

Btw, I'm the chap on top.

Lay down! Stay!

 

[nismaratwork]

I love how the "bottom dog" looks pretty content with the state of affairs. I love bulldog/pit mixes.

My pal rescued a bull/pit/mutt mix that's similar to these (pit's there though) and she's a big thick-boned muscular softie. That scrunchy nose and underbite, soft little ears, and big brown eyes will melt your heart.

 

[mikelepore]

Separate (Seperate)

To remember "separate", you can remember the letters "par" in the word "part."