Orders of the Day — Spelling Reform Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 March 1949.

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Photo of Sir A.P. Herbert Sir A.P. Herbert , Oxford University 12:00, 11 March 1949

Well, if there is only one "t" how on earth are we going to pronounce it "committee"? I can see that many children will get into trouble over that.

Then we have the word "to" which will read "tw," and then the word "introduce" which will be spelt "introdius." Next we have the famous word "rational" which is to be spelt "rashunal." On the subject of phonetics by the way, I entirely deny that I pronounce "rational" and "national" as "rashunal" and "nashunal." The sound is different. Then follows the words "system of" which will be spelt, "sistem ov." The word "spelling" is the same, but with only one "I." "With" is difficult, because one of the things it seems, which drives our children mad and sends foreigners to other countries is that the "th" in "thin" is pronounced differently from the "th" in "that," or "there." In order to save everyone this kind of trouble "thin" is to be left as. it is but "there" will be spelt "dhere," with a "d." That would help our children a lot. So "with," I think, is "uidh." If the hon. Member for Loughborough is here—I do not see him at the moment—I hope he will correct me if I am wrong. I hope he is back in time to vote.

Then comes "a view to making" which would read "ei viu tw meiking." The hon. Gentleman the Member for Loughborough, by the way, says that all our long vowels are diphthongs. But I venture to deny that my long vowels are diphthongs. When I say "go" I do not say "go-u." Or do I? The word "language" becomes I think "languidj." "Eliminate" is the sort of word the French would recognise here, for they have "eéliminer."But the word" eliminate" is to become "ilimineit." If that does not make the English language a world language, I do not know what will. The word "unnecessary," which, again the French would recognise as it stands, is very difficult and I do not know whether there are two "n's" or not.