ALFIKS
A Revised Alphabet
for consistent spelling & pronunciation
Philosophy:
Each consonant has a unique sound, and a given sound is represented by a unique consonant.
Some additional symbols are required to cover all our consonant sounds.
A single vowel has a unique "short" sound. Twin vowels have that vowel's "long" sound.
A couple of new symbols cover the remaining diphthongs.
-
Consonants
as in
![](dee.gif)
replaces CH, e.g.
instead of CHIN
as in
![](jee.gif)
as in
;
also replaces PH, e.g.
instead of GRAPH
as in
,
i.e. hard G, not soft G
as in
;
but not in combinations CH, SH, or TH
as in
;
also replaces soft G, e.g.
instead of GEM
as in
;
also replaces hard C, e.g.
instead of CAT
as in
![](tee.gif)
as in
![](en.gif)
as in
![](tee.gif)
replaces hard NG, e.g.
instead of SONG;
replaces soft NG
as in
![](jee.gif)
as in
![](em.gif)
as in
;
also replaces soft C, e.g.
instead of CENT
replaces SH, e.g.
instead of SHIP
as in
![](jee.gif)
replaces unvoiced TH, e.g.
instead of THIN
replaces voiced TH, e.g.
instead of THIS
as in
![](tee.gif)
as in
;
also
replaces WH, e.g.
instead of WHEN
as in
![](kay.gif)
as in
;
also replaces voiced S, e.g.
instead of HANDS
replaces the ZH sound (a.k.a. voiced SH or French J), e.g.
instead of AZURE
-
Vowels, short (single) & long (twins)
as in
![](dee.gif)
(referred to as "A twins") sounds like long A, as in
for FADE
as in
![](dee.gif)
sounds like long E, as in
for BEAD
as in
![](dee.gif)
sounds like long I, as in
for RIDE
as in
![](dee.gif)
sounds like long O, as in
for MODE
is the short OO sound, as in
for COOK
is the long OO sound, as in
for KOOK
- The traditional long U sound is covered by
,
as in
for UKE
- The traditional short U sound is covered by the schwa sound (see below),
as in
for YUCK
-
The Schwa Sound
is the ubiquitous schwa sound of unstressed syllables, e.g.
- the A in LAPEL:
![](ell.gif)
- the E in GIVEN:
![](en.gif)
- the I in HABIT:
![](tee.gif)
- the O in FELON:
![](en.gif)
- the U in ALBUM:
![](em.gif)
-
Diphthongs
replaces OI or OY,
e.g.
instead of BOY
replaces OU or OW,
e.g.
instead of FOUL or FOWL
-
footnotes
- Q is not needed;
replaces QU.
- X is not needed; FOX becomes
,
and EXIT becomes
.
- The
sound also appears in syllables ending with NK, e.g.
for HONK
- I do not make a distinction between the vowel sounds in CLOD and CLAWED, and so on.
There is plenty of variation in vowel sounds simply from various speakers' accents.
- This alphabet does nothing to indicate which syllable of a word is stressed.
Here's what I call the letters of my alphabet (spelled the new way, then in standard English):
![](bee.gif) |
![](see.gif) |
![](dee.gif) |
![](eff.gif) |
![](jee.gif) |
![](aitch.gif) |
![](jay.gif) |
![](kay.gif) |
![](Q-bee.gif) |
![](Q-see.gif) |
![](Q-dee.gif) |
![](Q-eff.gif) |
![](Q-jee.gif) |
![](Q-aitch.gif) |
![](Q-jay.gif) |
![](Q-kay.gif) |
bee |
see |
dee |
eff |
jee |
aitch |
jay |
kay |
|
![](ell.gif) |
![](em.gif) |
![](en.gif) |
![](agma.gif) |
![](pee.gif) |
![](are.gif) |
![](ess.gif) |
![](she.gif) |
![](Q-ell.gif) |
![](Q-em.gif) |
![](Q-en.gif) |
![](Q-agma.gif) |
![](Q-pee.gif) |
![](Q-are.gif) |
![](Q-ess.gif) |
![](Q-she.gif) |
ell |
em |
en |
agma |
pee |
are |
ess |
she |
|
![](tee.gif) |
![](theta.gif) |
![](double-theta.gif) |
![](vee.gif) |
![](double-you.gif) |
![](wye.gif) |
![](zee.gif) |
![](zhee.gif) |
![](Q-tee.gif) |
![](Q-theta.gif) |
![](Q-double-theta.gif) |
![](Q-vee.gif) |
![](Q-double-you.gif) |
![](Q-wye.gif) |
![](Q-zee.gif) |
![](Q-zhee.gif) |
tee |
theta |
double-theta |
vee |
double-you |
wye |
zee |
zhee |
|
![](aye.gif) |
![](ee.gif) |
![](eye.gif) |
![](oh.gif) |
![](you.gif) |
![](schwa.gif) |
![](coin.gif) |
![](ouch.gif) |
![](Q-aye.gif) |
![](Q-ee.gif) |
![](Q-eye.gif) |
![](Q-oh.gif) |
![](Q-you.gif) |
![](Q-schwa.gif) |
![](Q-coin.gif) |
![](Q-ouch.gif) |
aye |
ee |
eye |
oh |
you |
schwa |
coin |
ouch |