Spelling pronunciation

Spelling pronunciation occurs when a person says a word exactly as it is written. This happens when the spoken sound differs from a long-standing or traditional way of saying the word. Often, words contain letters that were never intended to be heard. These silent letters might have been absent for many generations or even hundreds of years. As mandatory schooling and universal literacy increased, people began to pronounce these letters based on the text. This process shows how written language can influence spoken language.

This phenomenon often arises because spelling and sound do not always match. In languages like English and French, spelling frequently fails to indicate current pronunciation. While many languages have words where spelling and sound differ, the effect is very noticeable in English. This is especially true for people who learn to read and write but are not taught specific pronunciation rules. If a speaker does not understand that spelling is a tool for recording speech, they may follow the letters instead. This creates a reciprocal effect where the written word shapes the spoken word.

There are several distinct ways these pronunciations develop. One way is through a reversion to an older pronunciation. For example, the word "forehead" once rhymed with "horrid." Today, 85% of American speakers and 65% of British speakers use a different pronunciation. This shift actually brings the word back to its original sound. Another way is through the use of etymological spelling. This is when letters are added to a word to reflect its language of origin. The word "solder" is a good example. The "l" was added in the 1500s to link it to the Latin word "solidare."

A third way involves entirely new pronunciations suggested by the spelling. These sounds may have never existed in the history of the word. The word "falcon" is a clear case of this change. In older pronunciations, the "l" was silent, similar to the French "faucon." Now, nearly all speakers pronounce the "l," with only 3% of speakers leaving it silent. Similarly, the word "waistcoat" was once pronounced differently, but the "waist-coat" pronunciation is now more common. These changes show how spelling can act as a guide for new speech patterns.

History shows that this trend is not a new invention. In the 17th century, an intellectual trend began in England to pronounce words as they were spelled. This occurred just as standard spelling systems were starting to form. In the 19th century, some schoolteachers even encouraged people to abandon traditional pronunciations. They wanted people to speak exactly as the words appeared on the page. This movement helped spread certain pronunciations across large groups of people.

Specific numbers help us see how widespread these shifts can be. For the word "often," 73% of British speakers and 78% of American speakers use the pronunciation with a sounded "t." While this is a reversion to a 15th-century sound, it remains a major variant. In the case of "clothes," many speakers now insert a voiced "th" sound. This is also a return to how the word was spoken in the 15th century. Even place names change due to these influences. St. Louis was formerly pronounced differently, but it is now often pronounced with a long "u" sound in the United States.

Spelling pronunciations can lead to different opinions among people. Some people believe that traditional pronunciations are the correct standard. They may view spelling pronunciation as a sign of ignorance or insecurity. Others might see the traditional ways as "slovenly" because they skip over letters. Interestingly, some people view certain modern changes, like pronouncing "February" in a specific way, as being too pedantic. Regardless of these views, if a spelling pronunciation becomes common enough, it can become the new standard.