Spelling Reforms
Because of the unpredictability of the combination, many English spelling reformers have proposed replacing it with more phonetic combinations, some of which have caught-on in varying degrees of formal and informal success. Generally, spelling reforms have been more widely accepted in the United States and less so in the Commonwealth.
In April 1984, at its yearly meeting, the Simplified Spelling Society adopted the following reform as its house style:
- Shorten 'ough' to 'u' when it is sounded as /uː/ – through→thru.
- Shorten 'ough' to ‘o’ when it is sounded as /oʊ/ – though→tho (but doh for dough).
- Shorten ‘ough’ to ‘ou’ when it is sounded as /aʊ/ – bough→bou, plough→plou, drought→drout.
- Change 'ough' to ‘au’ when it is sounded as /ɔː/ – ought→aut, bought→baut, thought→thaut.
- Change 'ough' to 'of' or 'uf' (depending on pronunciation) when there is the sound /f/ – cough→cof, enough→enuf, tough→tuf.
Read more about this topic: Ough (orthography)
Famous quotes containing the words spelling and/or reforms:
“Some let me make you of the heartless words.
The heart is drained that, spelling in the scurry
Of chemic blood, warned of the coming fury.
By the sea’s side hear the dark-vowelled birds.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“Until politics are a branch of science we shall do well to regard political and social reforms as experiments rather than short-cuts to the millennium.”
—J.B.S. (John Burdon Sanderson)