ABSTRACT
English spelling is famous for its complexity and although this adds both interest and information to many words it also presents numerous writers with a problem. The twenty-six letters of our alphabet produce fifty-two major spelling units, thirty-two for consonants and twenty for vowels. Some letters represent many different sounds so that writers cannot rely on writing a word as it sounds. This was not always the case. Before 1500 AD English words were spelled as they were pronounced and as local dialects changed the sound, so also the spelling varied from place to place. Professional scribes made some attempt to standardise words but they were also responsible for some very unusual spellings. In order to combat the confusing repetition of up and down strokes found in such words as wimin and munk the scribes changed them to women and monk! When Caxton's printing press was first developed he used Dutch printers, many of whom were unsure of how English was pronounced. Hence the ch found in yacht!
