The Irregularities in the Correspondence of Sound and Symbol in English

  • Jiaying Li Beijing Forestry University School of Foreign Languages
Ariticle ID: 2215
58 Views, 4 PDF Downloads
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18282/l-e.v10i1.2215
Keywords: Irregularities, Orthography, Great Vowel Shift, Dialects

Abstract

In English, there is no simple sound-symbol correspondence system. One letter of the alphabet does not represent the same sound all the time, nor does a specific sound always find its representation in one letter of the alphabet. This inconsistency of English sound and its spelling symbols poses a great difficulty to L2 and foreign language learners. This study will look at the reasons for this problem of inconsistency; the manifestation of these inconsistencies and make some suggestions to ease the problem for second and foreign language learners.

References

[1] Bussmann, H. , Trauth, G. P. , & Kazzazi, K. . (2001). Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.

[2] Glushko, R. J. (1979). The Organization and Activation of Orthographic Knowledge in Reading Aloud. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 5(4), 674-691.

[3] Lanham, L. W. , & Traill, A. (1962). South African English Pronunciation. English Studies in Africa, 5 (2), 171-208.

[4] McKay, S. L. & Hornberger, N. H . . (1996). Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[5] Okeke, N. U. (2008). Spelling and Phonetic Inconsistencies in English: A Problem for Learners of English as a Foreign/Second Language. African Research Review, 2 (1), 64-83.

[6] Seidenberg, M. S. , Waters, G. S. , Barnes, M. A. , & Tanenhaus, M. K. . (1984). When Does Irregular Spelling or Pronunciation Influence Word Recognition?. Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, 23 (3), 383-404.

Published
2021-07-19
Issue
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2021)

Authors contributing to this journal agree to publish their articles under the  Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International License, allowing third parties to share their work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it, under the condition that the authors are given credit, that the work is not used for commercial purposes, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this license are made clear. With this license, the authors hold the copyright without restrictions and are allowed to retain publishing rights without restrictions as long as this journal is the original publisher of the articles.