Why English spelling is so messed up
Why English spelling is so messed upThe explanation may not comfort you, but it may at least
make you see the language as less arbitrarily maddening
by Arika Okrent
If you’re a kid learning how to write, or an adult speaker of a language with sensible spelling, English spelling can seem like a cruel prank.
And even if you’re a completely literate adult native speaker of English, you will still run into situations that make you wonder how English spelling ever got so messed up. Here are some answers for the next time you clutch your hair yelling, “WHYYYYYYYY?!?!?” They may not comfort you, but they may make you see English as less of an arbitrary meanie and more of a victim of history.
1. Spelling was established while big pronunciation changes were underway Before the printing press came along, there was a lot of flexibility in English spelling. Look at some of the ways beauty used to be spelled: