"The written norm is a system unto itself and not simply an adjunct to speech. English orthography is not a failed phonetic transcription system, invented out of madness or perversity. Instead it is a more complex system that preserves bits of history, facilitates understanding, and also translates into sound*. An ostrich, viewed as an imperfect horse, also leaves much to be desired. Among two-toed flightless ratite birds, however, it ranks at the top of its class. Similarly, English orthography suffers abuse and scorn from those who see it for what it is not and probably was never intended to be."—Richard Venezky,
The American Way of Spelling
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