The Costs of Our Complicated Spelling System

A short list of the problems caused by the irregularity of English spelling starts with children being taught the alphabet and finding that it is a poor guide on how to reliably pronounce the written form or reproducing spoken words in writing.

This leads inevitably to poor results in other areas of learning, as without literacy competency, no child can master other subjects.

Apart from the loss in terms of peoples? working lives there are other costs associated with remedial classes, additional spelling classes, all of which would be better used in teaching other subjects in a world that requires a skilled and knowledgeable work force.

The costs run into billions of pounds annually.