Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-04-06
undermining English
Spelling
by j. NJ Tadlock)
Copyright. All rights reserved
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EIETH Study.

!
Almost, if not quite as characteristic of English
| representation as the use Of silent letter, 10
modify the sounds of other letters, is the emploi-
ment of other devices such dublng the final
letter to indicate the short sound of vocal in
words OF one syllabl or of words accented the
last syllab when suffix is added or of the inter
change of ''i' and ''y' representing the same
vocal sound-y being emploid when final, and
when initial, or within the word. 1t is also clearly
the tendency of English representation to shorten
words wherever the wearing down process of
spoken language has eliminated harsh or difficult
combinations Of sounds In such cases the writ
ten forms which represent such shorend words
should be read jllsed to the modern sound pro-
vlded the REIMBURSEMENT can be made that COM
plies with the laws Of spelling There ar a num-
Der of classes of such words which would suffer
no Inconvenience by the elimination of useless
letter or two in the interest of simplicity
The well known rule for dubling the final letter
is as follows: "Primitiv words of one syllabl or
words accented on the last syllabl, in taking
sutfiX beginning with a vowel dubl the final letter
when ending with singl consonant preceded by
singl vowel" The purpos of this rule is to
insure the short sound of the vowel of the root
word
plan planning hop hopping
MI hlly refer referring
omit emitting excel eycellinU
occur occurring
Not to dubl the in ''planning' would make
the IA long, "planing' an entirely different word
"hoping'', etc.
1t must be borne in mind that when the accent
changes by the addition of suffiX to make the
derlvaiv then the rule does not apply, for in that
case the long sound changes to a short sound
Therefore the final letter cannot be dubld with
out doing violence to the proper pronunciation
This is seen in words like
refer reference confer conference
excel excellent defer deference
The converse of the abov rule for dubng the
final letter is also true and therefore the rule
obtains that, unless words comply with all the
requirements given abov, they do not dubl the
final letter This rule is just as important and
ONT not hav any exceptions. 1t is wei illustrated
in these words:
act acting acted choosing choos
hope hoping hopt abate abatement
duel duellng dleld commit commitment
plane planning pland
work working workt
In som cases the rules of spelling hav been
lgnor q by custom to the extent of allowing many
exceptions to grow into the dictionary and
spelling book These ar mostly errors and should
be corrected. Where reason exists for a de-
parture from the regular English method there
should be no exception. Following ar som words
that lav been msspelt without warrant of law of
the language:
marvelus chancellor leveling traveller
satellite councillor actually travelling
jewelry continually metalurgy tyrany
specifically counselor crystalize tyranzc
cancellation
Another rule, if obServd closely would elimi-
nate few dubld letters 1t is this: Words end,
ing with dubl consonant drop consonant
when taking suttix beginning with consonant
Here of them
full fulfil restless restlesness
remiSS renliSneSS enroll enrolment
install inStalmcnt lstlcsS liStlesneSS
The sounds represented by ~ may all be rep
resented by "y'. the custom being that when
this sound occurs at the end of IA word V i, en-
plod, and when it occurs at the beginning or in
the midst of the word then is the symbol us d.
and gnashng OF teeth amid few end of the hall t
haelujahs were heard n,aced ,,rd ~,