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Spelling? Ugh!
Rather than reform English spelling to conform with pronunciation (letters, 30 January, 4 February), why not alter pronunciation to accord with spelling?
The return of the "gh" sound to English, similar to the Scottish "ch", as in loch, would simplify spelling without the need to actually change it. Words such as "plough", "slough" and "trough" would sound more like their meaning, and the difficulty the "-ugh" spelling causes to foreigners would disappear. Anyone who thinks the English cannot make this sound anymore, say "ugh!"
C PADLEY
Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
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