Comments on: Child spelling

By: arnold zwicky

arnold zwicky — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:31:59 +0000

Opal has an unaccented syllabic lateral in AmE as well. But the AL spelling seems not to have been carried over into other words, undoubtedly because the spelling OPAL was learned as a unit, indeed overlearned, since it was, I think, the first word she could write (as well as spell out loud) — certainly one of the very earliest, and the one most practiced, many times a day. (When she could read some words but not yet write them, she was fascinated that the PALO of PALO ALTO had the same letters in it as her name.)

By: Martyn Cornell

Martyn Cornell — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:29:00 +0000

Opal, in BrE, also has the unaccented syllabic lateral, but I’m guessing in AmE it’s pronounced to sound more like “oh, pal”? Otherwise Opal might have spelt your name “Arnald”.

By: arnold zwicky

arnold zwicky — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:58:23 +0000

Just to make things clear about FORTY etc.: if I’d been told that there were rules of thumb, rough approximations, etc., but that there were exceptions, I could have dealt with that. What so irked me was that each position was presented as a kind of absolute principle.

By: Erik Zyman Carrasco

Erik Zyman Carrasco — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:36:38 +0000

This was an absolutely phenomenal post. Thank you.

(National Spelling Bee alum here.)