The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-01-27
Communications.
LetlerS ON Phometics. No. q.
Tie RenleaU.


Tbs ppIy remedy for the deplQrablc
state Vt our orthography is, recurrence
70 trps alphabetic eoriting, which is, to
haoc q dt%tiGct clarncter for euery dis
tinct so2nd. Allow me to digress little
Mr.. Editor, to notice communication in
your paper addressed to " School Direct
prs." The writer II. who says he is
& somewhat interested in the progress and
welfare Of common schools has examined
some of the reports of teachers" and fluids
many errors in 8 punctuatiop" and in the
pse of " coptalS' &c, and lastly " as to
SpelliHq." Nog we have few words to
say about this, yea we expect to say a
good many before we take final leave Of
the subject.
We are so bold as to say that the spell
ings referred to by II. are as correct as a
great majority Of the Pronmciations of
words. How many pronounce the word
II. has given, just as he found it spelled,
l. e. gram-ar-instead ofgraDe-mar. And
we as often hear persons say mid-lea
as mid-ttuq-and so if tick spells tjch,
the noise of watch does it not represent
the same sound if +" drttiDte" is placed be-
toreit. Itell you, dear friend, therei is not
much chance for boasting in relation to
our spelling. We never yet saw the man
or woman that we could not ''spcll down" "
For instance, we will give II. and the
seaders of the POTTER JOURNAL, a couple
of words to spell that are quite familiar.
We shall use spelling that will give the
common pronunciation. How VIII you
spell the word that ladies call "emtinz
and the word which is used to deSi gnatc
the coarse part of -four, or coarse flour,
called "kunell." Take the proportion of
those who read and write, aud we shall
fnd thatmore errors are made in pronounc-
dng their words, than in spelling them.
We are not making these remarks to find
fault with II. for noticing the errors and
blunders Of Teachers, nor to justify said
Teachers for their carelessness and incom-
potency; but for the purpose of bringing
TO the more direct notice Of persons the
defec.s of our spelling, and the necessity
of change-of adopting the Yemeo2y We
Indicate.
We can remember very distinctly, when
such words as ''music" I" physic" = phthis-
ic" &c, ended with "k," and at the
present day, there is a great diversity of
opinion, as to the use of two classes of
words ending Ill jc or ick, as above motto
ed and or or or, and us fdU0r or /uU0ur,
ltonor or honour.
Worcester gives quite long list of
!'wordS Of doubtful or various orthogra-
phy," in which we find the word "mos-
quito" spelled t,ceire different ways, ac-
cording to the notions of different authors.
Now who shall decide when doctors dis
agree. Ia WorceSter's ten pages Of six
columns each Of these words of . doubtful
orthography" only fer of these words
are represented. All me "'tls true, It's
pity, and pity It's, tbs true"
In the Phonetic system we have a SIRE
remedy for this sad state of things An
alphabet of 43 letters has been devised to
represent the 43 sounds in our language,
phe letter for each SOuRd-uud only 0He
sound TOR each letter. The twenty-three
letters of the alphabet (expunging c q
&x,) are used with the addition of new
letters to represent the sounds of &c in eel,
in her, al in air, q in nm, q in alI, 0 in
yoke, 90 in core, in ask, co in book, in
lce, OF in oil, ow in no1c, .! in lute, ca in
fheer, til in thigh, til in :kcy, sh in shall,
in vision, and 1g in sing. In our next
we will try and show some of the benefits
which would result from applying this
remedy. PHoNo.