So without further introduction, a spelling reform I shall designate...
...X English! (because this is my tenth try)
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Part 1 of 3: Vowels
Overview
First, I'll start by introducing the vowel part of the reform. I sort the vowels by alphabetical order to make things simpler to explain in terms of orthography. The lists account for the long allophone, the short allophone, and occasionally the unstressed variant. Long high and low vowels simply lose their length when unstressed.
Note that the semivowels <w> and <y> act as consonants intervocally, rather than as part of a diphthong.
Shortening Enviroments:
- Before any consonant cluster (regardless if it represents one sound), <x>, or <q>.
- Before a consonant at the end of a word (including <h>).
- At the end of a word (excluding final <e>)
- Before another vowel (usually).
- In the orthographical formation <VCe>.
Aa
- /æ/ when short.
- /eɪ̯:/ when long. The lengthening cluster for <Aa> is <Ai ai>
- /ə/ when unstressed.
- /ɛ/ when short.
- /i:/ when long. The lengthening cluster for <Ee> is <Ee ee>
- /ɘ/ when unstressed (short only).
- /ɪ/ when short.
- /æɪ̯:/ when long. The lengthening cluster for <Ii> is either <Yy> or <Ie ie>.
- /ɨ/ when unstressed (short only).ɨ
- /ɔ̈/ when short.
- /öʊ̯:/ when long. The lengthening cluster for <Oo> is <Oe oe>
- /ɵ/ when unstressed.
- /ʌ̈/ when short.
- /ü:/ when long. The lengthening cluster for <Uu> is <Ue ue>.
- /ʉ/ when unstressed (short only).
- /eɪ̯:/ everywhere. Replaceable by <Ai ai>. Removed from common, non-scientific words.
Œœ
- /i:/ everywhere. Replaceable by <Ee ee>. Removed from common, non-scientific words.
Au au, Aw aw
- /ɐ̈/ everywhere.
- /i:/ everywhere.
- /eʊ̯/ everywhere.
- /ʲæ~ʲeɪ̯:/ normally.
- /æɪ̯:æ/ before <h>.
- /æɪ̯:eɪ̯:/ before <e>.
- /ʲɐ̈/ normally.
- /æɪ̯:ɐ̈/ before <h>.
- /ʲɛ~ʲi:/ normally.
- /æɪ̯:ɛ/ before <h>.
- /æɪ̯:i:/ before <e>.
io
- /ʲɔ̈~ʲoʊ̯/ normally.
- /æɪ̯:ɔ̈/ before <h>.
- /æɪ̯:oʊ̯:/ before <e>, <w>, or both.
iu, iw
- /ʲʌ~ʲü:/ normally.
- /æɪ̯:ʌ/ before <h>.
- /æɪ̯:ü:/ before <e>.
- /oɪ̯/ everywhere.
- /ʊ~ü:/ everywhere. Note that the tenseness is in free variation.
- /ɐ̈ʊ̯/ everywhere.
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