Editing English-language spelling reform (section)

{{Short description|Proposed reforms to English spelling to be more phonetic}}

For centuries, there have been movements to [[spelling reform|reform the spelling]] of the [[English language]]. Such spelling reform seeks to change [[English orthography]] so that it is more consistent, matches pronunciation better, and follows the [[alphabetic principle]].<ref>{{cite book|author=David Wolman|title=Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling|publisher=HarperCollins|date=2009}}</ref> Common motives for spelling reform include making learning quicker, making learning cheaper, and making English more useful as an [[international auxiliary language]].

Reform proposals vary in terms of the depth of the linguistic changes and by their implementations. In terms of writing systems, most [[#Spelling reform proposals|spelling reform proposals]] are moderate; they use the traditional [[English alphabet]], try to maintain the familiar shapes of words, and try to maintain common conventions (such as [[silent e]]).  More radical proposals involve adding or removing letters or symbols or even creating new alphabets.  Some reformers prefer a gradual change implemented in stages, while others favor an immediate and total reform for all.

Some spelling reform proposals have been adopted partially or temporarily. Many of the spellings preferred by [[Noah Webster]] have become standard in the United States, but have not been adopted elsewhere (see [[American and British English spelling differences]]).