Post

Rhetoric | English Phonetics in Plain Text


English Phonetics in Plain Text

© 2014 Vernon Miles Kerr (as “English Phonetics in Qwerty”)  |  © 2017 Vernon Miles Kerr (as “English Phonetics in Plain Text)

Introduction

English is unique among the Indo-European languages because it is only vaguely phonetic. Written English contains archaic, traditional spellings that are not phonetic but must be learned by rote in childhood.   The struggle that a child in the English-speaking world must go through, is compounded for foreign learners who have grown up with more logical writing systems, like Greek, Spanish, German, Hiragana and even Hindi. This situation is so pronounced that English dictionaries must concoct narrowly understood esoteric symbols, with which to express the English Language phonetically.

Following is a system I have developed to, fairly closely, express the unique vowel sounds and diphthongs heard in the pronunciation of the North American version of English (including a few regional alternatives) using only the 26 letters found on the internationally accepted, standard “Qwerty” typewriter keyboard. The letter/sound combinations in the following tables are static and never change:

Qwerty Fonetix™

**English Character(s)****The Sound****Use:**
aah“dag” for dog
bb“bag” for bog
csh“cel”    for shell
dd“dag” for dog
eeh“ded” for dead
ff“fag”   for fog
gg (hard g)“gad”  for god
hh“hed” for head
ii“hit” for hit“
ji“jet”    for jet
kk“kag” for cog
ll“lag”    for log
mm“mab” for mob
nn“nad”  for nod
oo (long o)“god”  for goad
pp“pol”   for pole
qch“qek”  for check
rr“rek”   for wreck
ss“sip”    for sip
tt“tip”    for tip
uuh“up”    for up
vv“vet”   for vet
woo“bwt”  for boot
xx“mix”  for mix
yee“myk” for meek
zz“yz”     for ease
**Diphthongs****Pronounced****Examples**
ayI (first person singular)As in “I go.”
eyA (long a)As in “Hey, there”
ywyouAs in “You” and “cute”
aea (short a)As in “cat”, “hat”, “rat.”
hwwhAs in “what,” “when,” “where.”
awowAs in “out.” “crowd,” “proud,” “dowry.”
thth (soft th)As in “thought”, “theta”
dhth (hard th)As in “the”, “this”,”that”

Example Words

**Contemporary English****Qwerty Fonetix (North American)**
CatCaet
DogDag
TogTag
TagTaeg
PricePrays
PraysPreyz
PraisePreyz
DaysDeyz
DazeDeyz
BlazeBleyz
CrazeKreyz
CrazyKreyzy
CornKorn
CheckQek
CheshireQecir (or qecayr)
QueenKwyn
QuiteKwayt
QuietKwayet
QuintessentialKwintisenqil
ThatDhaet
ThoughtThat
CheckQek
IAy (capitalization not recommended)
YouYw
MeMy
MyMay
MayMey
WeWy
ShortCort
CourtKort
CourtyardKortyard
SpecialSpecul
ExaminationExaemineycun
CorrectionKorekcun
AntiAentay or Aenty
GraciousGreycus
GratefulGreytful
GreatGreyt
GrapefruitGreypfrwt
FruitloopsFrwtlwps
TremendousTrymendus
StupendousStwpendus
StrenuousStrenywus
PoisonPoyzun
BoysBoyz
GirlsGurlz
New JerseyNyw Jurzy (Regional: Nw Jurzy)
New YorkNyw York (Regional: Nw York)
Los AngelesLas Aenjelus (UK: Las Aenjelyz)
Las VegasLas Veygus
LightLayt
JobJab
JabJaeb
JovianJovyan
JacobJeykub
JamesJeymz
GelatinJelatun (Regional: Jelatin)
GeorgeJorj
GiraffeJuraef (Regional: Jiraef)
GyroscopicJayroskapik
PrettyPrity (Regional: Prety)
PettyPety
PetrifiedPetrufayd (Regional: petrifayd)
PresumePryzwm (Regional: prezwm)
PretentiousPrytincus (Reg.: pretencus)
PortendPortind (Reg: portend)
PresumtionsPryzumcuns
ShuckCuk
SuckSuk
ChuckQuk
StuckStuk
StickStik
StrictStrikt
StructureStrukcur
ConstructionKonstrukcun
ContrabandKontrabaend
ContributeKontribywt
ContributionKontribywcun
ContriteKontrayt
CircusSurkus
CircularSurkywlur
CirculationSurkywleycun
CatatonicKaetutonik
BoatBot
BoughtBat
BatBaet
BaitBeyt
ThoughtThat
ThatDhaet
CoughKaf
DiplomatDiplomaet
DiplomacyDiplomusy

Reading Practice

Declaration of Independence

Hwen in dhu koirs uv hywman yvents it bykumz nesisery for wun pypl tw dizolv dhu politikl baendz hwiq haev konekted them with aenothr aend tw asyum amung dhu pawurz of dhu erth dhu separet aend ykwal steycun tw hwiq dhe laz uv neyqir aend neyqirz gad intaytl dhem, a dysunt ryspekt for dhu opinionz uv maenkaynd rykwayrz dhaet dhey steyt dhu kaziz hwiq haev kompeld dhem tw dhu separeycun. Wy hold dhyz trwths tw by self-evident: dhaet al men ar kryeyted ykwul aend ar endawd bay dher kryeyter with surtun ineylyenubl rayts, amung dhoz byyng layf liburty aend dhu purswt uv haepynes; thaet tw sykwir dhoz rayts guvernments ar institywted amung men dyrayvyng dheyr just pawerz frum dhu konsent uv dhu govurnd…

Hamlet Act III Scene 1

Tw by, or nat tw by: thaet iz dhu kwesqun:

Hwedhur ’tiz noblur in dhu maynd tw sufur

Dhe slyngz aend aeroz ov awtreyjus forqun,

Or tw teyk armz ageynst u sy uv trubulz,

Aend bay opozyng end dhem? Tw day: tw slyp;

No mor; aend bay a slyp tw sey wy end

Dhu hart-eyk aend dhu thawzund naequrul caks

Dhaet flec iz eyr tw, tiz u konswmeycun

Dyvowtly tw by wic’t. Tw dy, tw slyp:

Tw slyp: purqaens tw drym: ay, dher’z dhu rub…


Fun with dialects

Southeastern Oklahoma/Northeastern Texas

Meyry hayud u lyutul layum hiz fulyz wuz hwaet ez sno,

Ayund evur hweyr thet meyry wyunt dhu layum wuz cour tu go.

On a hyul for awey stwud aen old rugid krows. . .

(apologies to my late father and extended family) ;)


To Show Emphasis

When using Qwerty Fontetix™ in dictionary definitions, it is suggested to merely boldface the emphatic syllable. An example: komponent (UK:. kompunent)

Fun With Qwerty Fonetx™

To the reader: For a fun exercise please email me using this system at shbang.publishing@gmail.com and I promise to reply in kind. ;)

This post is copyright vernonmileskerr.com .