Simple phonetic alphabet

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Simple phonetics dictionary

The Simple-phonetics alphabet , also Simpel-Fonetik called, is a phonetic alphabet with the goal of the words of the English language only after the debate as a phonetic spelling to write. The writing system was developed by Allan Kiisk, a native of Estonia , and has been published since 2008. Kiisk's goal is to make English spelling simpler and more logical, using the spelling of the Estonian language that is true to pronounciation as a model.

historical development

Allan Kiisk, the developer of Simpel-Fonetik, spent his childhood in Estonia and his teenage years in Germany. Eventually he moved to the USA and after his mother tongues Estonian and German (his parents were also fluent in German) he learned English as a third language . Even while learning the English language, Kiisk was frustrated by its complicated and arbitrary spelling and the significant deviations from the pronunciation of the individual English words. After studying at Stanford University in California and working as a translator and interpreter for the US Army in Germany and as a professor of engineering at the University of Redlands in California, Kiisk began doing Simpel after retiring in 2007 - developonetics. Kiisk: “From childhood I asked myself why English and Americans write and speak differently. When I retired, I thought I had a chance to do something and started working on it. The most interesting thing was that Estonian is one of the best spellings. Then I learned how to use Estonian for the English spelling. ”Kiisk also sees the aural spelling of the Finnish language as a model for the English language.

Kiisk, who is also a member of the English Spelling Society , founded in London in 1908 , published a textbook in 2008. In 2012, a dictionary with over 18,000 words was published as a reference work, the second edition of which appeared in 2018.

System description

Pronunciation of the Schwa

In contrast to the phonetic spelling of the commonly used International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Simple-Fonetik used not only occurring in the phonetic symbols such as the schwa ə or ʃ but all phonograms are characters of the Latin alphabet and from the umlauts Ä, Ö and Ü of the German alphabet . The simple phonetic alphabet consists of a total of 25 letters, whereby Ü in English words is only used for proper names. The distinction between upper and lower case is retained in contrast to other phonetic scripts such as the Unifon alphabet and the IPA characters.

Phonetic signs Example word in simple phonetics IPA mark
A. k a p (cup) ʌ
Ä h ä t (has) æ
B. b ig b
D. d og d
E. e nd e
F. le f t f
G g olf G
H h elp H
I. f i t ɪ
J f j ord j
K k ilo k
L. l eg l
M. le m on m
N te n a n t n
O o n ɒ
Ö rit öö rn (return) ə
P p et p
R. r isk r
S. s end s
T t en t t
U f u t (foot), f uu d (food) ʊ
Ü ü bör (about) y
V v i v id v
W. w in w
Z z uu (zoo) z

Long vowels are as in the Estonian and Finnish doubled nuu jiir (new year) , skuul (school). Strongly spoken co-voices are also doubled: häppen (happen) , praiss (price) .

Th is used for both voiced th [ð] and unvoiced th [θ]: this (this) , thing (thing) . For [ʃ] sh is used: mashiin (machine), shuur (sure) . The sound [dʒ] is represented with dsh : dshadsh (judge) , souldsher (soldier) . For [tʃ] tsh is used: tshin (chin) , mätsh (match).

Diphthongs are represented as follows: mai (my), house (house), meik (make), skiier (skier), boi (boy), Moust (most), duing (doing).

The letters C, Q, X and Y are not used in English words; the sound values ​​of these letters are written according to the pronunciation: kould (cold) , siks (six) , kwik (quick) , taip (type) , ju (you) . Only with proper names such as B. Chicago, Quebec and York, C, Q, X and Y are used.

Application examples in simple phonetics

example 1

Wen ju riid Simpel-Fonetik wörds, ju mast pei ätenshon tu iitsh leter. Rimember: iitsh leter häs olweis the seim saund, the saund given in the Simpel-Fonetik alfabet, rigaardles wat leter is nekst tu it.

Transfer: When you read Simpel-Fonetik words, you must pay attention to each letter. Remember, each letter has always the same sound, the sound given in the Simpel-Fonetik Alphabet, regardless of what leter is next to it.

Example 2: Excerpt from the short story The Star by HG Wells (1866–1946)

It was on the först dei of the nuu jiir thät the ännaunsment was meid, olmoust saimulteiniosli from thrii obsöörvatoris, thät the moushon of the plan Neptune, thi autermoust of ool the planets thät wiil öbaut the san, häd bikam veri erräät. Ö retardeishon in its velossiti häd biin saspekted in Disember. Then ö feint, rimout spek of lait was diskaverd in the riidshon of the pörtöörbd plänet. Ät föörst this did not koos eni greit eksaitment. Saientifik piipl, hauever, faund thi intelidshens rimaarkabl inaf iiven bifor it bikeim noun thät the nuu bodi was räpidli grouing laardsher änd braiter, änd thät its moushon was kwait different from the oorderli progres of the plänets.

Transmission: It was on the first day of the new year that the announcement was made, almost simultaneously from three observatories, that the motion of the planet Neptune, the outermost of all the planets that wheel about the sun, had become very erratic. Aretardation in its velocity had been suspected in December. Then a faint, remote bacon of light was discovered in the region of the perturbed planet. At first this did not cause any great excitement. Scientific people, however, found the intelligence remarkable enough even before it became known that the new body was rapidly growing larger and brighter, and that its motion was kwait different from the orderly progress of the planets.

See also

literature

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ Neeme in the Postimees article
  2. ↑ Omniglot website
  3. ↑ degree Master of Science in 1968, cf. Stanford Magazine, January / February 2009
  4. ^ English Spelling Society: The Author
  5. ↑ Neeme in the Postimees article
  6. ^ Website of the English Spelling Society
  7. ↑ Neeme in the Postimees article
  8. ^ Kiisk, Dictionary, pp. 11 - 24
  9. ↑ Simpel-Fonetik-Seite: Questions and Answers, No. 22
  10. ↑ Allan Kiisk: Simpel-Fonetik, p. 11