Reforming the English language: Is it more hassle than it is worth?

People have been having trouble with the English language since it was first written down. Due to inconsistent spellings and pronunciations, the English language is notoriously difficult to learn. Even between English speaking regions, such as the UK and the USA, spellings can differ greatly, and it can be confusing to know what spelling to use. But should the English language be reformed to make things easier? This week we explore the difficulty of the English language and consider why people are pushing for its reform.

UK spellings of words often contain more letters than US versions, making it more complicated for people learning the language, experts report. For example, the word ‘labour’ in the UK, is spelt as a more simple ‘labor’.

The English Spelling Society argues that there is a link between difficult spelling and crime, as complicated spelling can heighten rates of illiteracy. Although that may seem extreme, it is clear that spelling can impact large parts of people’s lives: communication, professional opportunities and language skills. However, it may not be easy to reform the English language to make things easier, linguists advise. As none of the English language is spelt out completely phonetically, it can be difficult to know how to pronounce a word from its spelling. This suggests that simplifying the spelling of a word may not be enough to make a positive difference. Despite this, linguists of the English language are calling for UK spellings to align with US spellings. They argue that this would not only make things easier but that a more uniform approach to spelling would facilitate better communication between English speaking countries across the world.

But why is spelling important?

Many of the world’s most famous writers are known for their bad or inconsistent spelling. Even William Shakespeare was known for spelling words differently even in the same play. So why does spelling matter?

Spelling can make a big difference in how professional you come across. Imagine you receive an email from a business that is poorly spelt and punctuated, you would be more unlikely to want to work with that particular business, as you might doubt their professionalism.

Who would benefit from spelling reform?

Linguists argue that although everyone could benefit from spelling reform, the switchover process may be a lengthy one. Despite this, some people could particularly benefit from spelling reform, such as people with dyslexia. Although dyslexia is neurologically based, research reveals that children with dyslexia in the UK struggle significantly more than dyslexic children from Spain or Finland. Again, this is due to phonetics, as English spelling rarely is spelt in the same way that it is pronounced, making it more difficult for children to synthesise the written and verbal connections between words.

But why now?

The age of the internet has impacted the way that we all write. The internet is full of abbreviations and jargon and has the power to introduce new spellings. More still, the internet can be used to mobilise the reform of the English language. As Google receives more searches in American spellings, most UK English speakers are aware of the differences between spellings in the language.