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From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.std.internat,sci.lang
Subject: Re: Computers and human languages (was Re: What is a byte)
Message-ID: <2854@phri.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Aug-87 10:56:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: phri.2854
Posted: Mon Aug 17 10:56:58 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Aug-87 06:32:29 EDT
References: <6252@brl-smoke.ARPA> <479@sugar.UUCP> <717@maccs.UUCP>
Reply-To: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY)
Lines: 21
Summary: Phonetic English script *has* been invented
Xref: mnetor comp.std.internat:113 sci.lang:1164

In article <717@maccs.UUCP> gordan@maccs.UUCP (Gordan Palameta) writes:
> English uses a highly non-phonetic script; the illiteracy rate in the
> U.S. is at alarming levels.  This might be a non-sequitur, but
> undoubtedly a phonetic script for English would make life a lot simpler.
> Will it ever happen?  Not a chance.

	Well, maybe a small chance.  When I was in, I think, the first
grade (in New York City, about 1965) they tried out an experimental reading
and writing system on us.  We were taught a phonetic alphabet.  All I
really really remember about it was that letters like "c" which admitted to
two pronunciation were banned -- you wrote "kalsify" instead of
"calcify", and that they added a schwa to the alphabet.  Schwa, written
like an upside-down "e" was some sort of vowel.  Dictionaries use it a lot
to show pronunciation.

	My mother is convinced that my poor spelling skills are a direct
effect of this phonetic writing experiment.  She's probably right.
-- 
Roy Smith, {allegra,cmcl2,philabs}!phri!roy
System Administrator, Public Health Research Institute
455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016