Spelling Reform Requires Competition of Spelling Options

The first condition of rational progress in spelling reform is that persons who know, or who think they know, how words should be speld, should recover some- thing of their former freedom to spel in accordance with individual judgment. Only in that way can there be a wholesome rivalry of forms with ultimate survival of the best.

The Board does not expect any one to adopt a spelling that, to him, suggests a pronunciation at variance with his usage.

Those whose temper moves them to act as pioneers, or as skirmishers ahed of the main column, render exceptionally valuable service if they lead in the indi- cated direction. They wil find the Board prepared and eager to enlist them and to equip them, to point out the way, and to fortify its counsel with reasons based on scolarship and practical experience.

Hanry Gallup Paine, Handbook of Simplified Spelling (2009-06)

• reform
• spelling