Why Do Some Words Defy Standard Phonetics?
When we’re in kindergarten, or perhaps even preschool, we start learning about the sounds the letters of the alphabet make. Vowels are big and open, “S” has a hissing sound, and “D,” “B,” “T,” and other consonants have firm, confident sounds. Then we start to put those letters together to
make words, using the principles of phonetics. But as we learn to read, we inevitably come across words that don’t fit standard phonetic rules. For example, the “B” is silent in “doubt,” and “through,” “though,” “tough,” and “thought” don’t rhyme, despite their similar spellings. Why do some English words have...
