spell it out 3 CH One

One day spelling checkers will be more sophisticated, taking the context of the word into account; but for now theycan let us down badly. One day there’ll be even better labour-saving spelling devices. We will speak into a machine and it will spell the words out for us,or type them for us. Devices of this kind already exist, using voice-to-text software, but they’re far from perfect. They don’t like broad regional accents.They don’t like fast speakers. They don’t like background noise. They especiallydon’t like proper names. Eventually these problems will be solved - but not for another generation or so. 

So in the short term we need to spell as best we can - and maybe even in the long term. After all, none of these devices will work atall if our computer or phone runs out of power. And if we want to write when we’ve no electronic equipment to hand, the responsibility remains with us. 

What can we do to make the task of learning to spell easier? My answer is in a word: EXPLAIN it. I believe the first step in solving a problem is to see why the problem exists. If we understand why English spelling is apparently in such a mess, we remove part of the barrier. Explaining why words are spelled the waythey are can help us remember them. The stories behind the spellings are often fascinating, and interest adds motivation. I’ve told some of them to young schoolchildren, and their comments warm my linguistic heart. ‘I’ll never forget there’s an h in ghost now,’ said one to me, with a big smile on her face. Yes!