The History of English Podcast
Episode 184: Spelling Says a Lot (Part 1)
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Host: Kevin Stroud

Introduction

In Episode 184 of The History of English Podcast, host Kevin Stroud delves into the intricate relationship between English spelling and pronunciation during the early 1600s—a pivotal era when the English language was embarking on its global journey. Titled "Spelling Says a Lot (Part 1)," this episode aims to unravel the seemingly chaotic nature of English spelling by exploring its historical underpinnings and the logical frameworks that governed it during the early modern period.

[00:09] Kevin Stroud: "As crazy as English spelling often seems, there's usually an explanation and logic to it if you understand how words were pronounced in the past."

Setting the Stage: English's Global Expansion and Vocabulary Explosion

By 1619, English had established settlements in Ireland, Jamestown in North America, Bermuda, and trading posts in India and Japan. This expansion was accompanied by a significant influx of words from diverse languages including French, Latin, Greek, Old Norse, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian. The willingness of English speakers to adopt foreign terms enriched the language, making it more expressive and flexible.

[02:45] Kevin Stroud: "Outside of a few scholars who decried the outside influence, most people seemed to think that the outside influence had improved the English language by making it more expressive, more flexible, and more worldly."

William Camden and the Rise of English Pride

A notable figure during this period was William Camden, a writer and historian who showcased the growing pride among English speakers in their language. In his seminal work, Britannia, Camden argued that English had evolved to rival classical languages in expressing nuanced ideas and emotions. He criticized the excessive admiration of foreign languages, advocating for the dignity and capability of English.

[06:30] Kevin Stroud: "Camden feels that the language had evolved to the point where it could express ideas and emotions and shades of meaning as well as any of those other languages."

Standardization of English Spelling

The late 1400s marked the beginning of spelling standardization in government documents, a movement accelerated by the advent of the printing press. By the early 1600s, dictionaries and spelling books began to offer definitive spellings, although a significant challenge remained: the pronunciation of English was rapidly evolving, leading to a disconnect between how words were spelled and how they were pronounced.

[10:15] Kevin Stroud: "English spelling generally reflects the way words were pronounced in the mid-1500s. By the late 1500s, some writers were already observing how spelling was starting to become divorced from pronunciation."

The Great Vowel Shift: Transforming Pronunciation

A central theme in the episode is the Great Vowel Shift, a series of changes in vowel pronunciation that commenced in the 1400s and continued into the 1700s. This phenomenon led to significant shifts in how vowels were articulated, thereby affecting the relationship between spelling and pronunciation.

[15:50] Kevin Stroud: "It's called the Great Vowel Shift because it affected an entire series of vowel sounds in English, which all moved around in relation to each other, kind of like a game of musical chairs."

Detailed Examination of the Alphabet and Its Evolution

Letter A

Kevin begins with the letter A, tracing its evolution from representing the original "ah" sound in Latin and Old English to the multiple sounds it embodies today, including the short "a" as in hat and the long "a" as in cake. He explains how spelling remained static even as pronunciation shifted, leading to the complexities of modern English spelling.

[25:20] Kevin Stroud: "Most of our words are spelled the way they were pronounced in the 1500s. So a closer look at older pronunciations reveals why words are spelled the way they are today."

Letter B

Moving to B, Kevin notes its relatively stable pronunciation over centuries, with occasional silent usages in words like doubt and debt. These silent B’s were remnants of Latin influences that no longer aligned with contemporary pronunciations.

[32:45] Kevin Stroud: "There was no indication that anyone pronounced those B's once they were added in."

Letter C

The letter C presents a dichotomy with its hard "k" sound and soft "s" sound, depending on the following vowel. Kevin discusses how these pronunciations were established during the Middle Ages and largely remained consistent into the early 1600s.

[38:10] Kevin Stroud: "When English spelling was standardized, those Cs were preserved. And in the early 1600s, those Cs would have been pronounced pretty much the same as today."

Letter D

D is briefly covered, with Kevin acknowledging its consistent pronunciation and minimal impact on spelling complexities.

Letter E

Kevin delves into E, highlighting its representation of both short and long vowel sounds. He explains the transition from the original "a" sound to the modern "ee" sound through the Great Vowel Shift, emphasizing how different spellings like ee, ei, ie, and ea emerged to denote these sounds.

[45:30] Kevin Stroud: "The ea spelling was originally used for a different sound, but again, the sound shifted and merged with the e sound in those other words."

Letter F and G

The letters F and G are explored, with Kevin discussing the stable pronunciation of F and the evolving pronunciations of G. He explains the emergence of the soft G (as in gentle) and the complexities introduced by silent G's in words like gnaw and gnat, as well as the transition of the GH combination to represent sounds like "f" in laugh and cough.

[55:00] Kevin Stroud: "The letter C has been used before vowels like A, O, and U to represent the hard sound, and before E and I to represent the soft sound."

Letter H

H is examined for its fluctuating pronunciation influenced by French, leading to both pronounced and silent H's in English words. Kevin discusses the socio-linguistic aspects, such as how the pronunciation of H acquired class connotations in England.

[65:20] Kevin Stroud: "In the early 1600s, there was a complicated mix where the h was sometimes pronounced and sometimes it wasn't, and sometimes an h was even added to words that never had one."

Letters I and J

Concluding the alphabet exploration, I and J are discussed in tandem. Kevin outlines the evolution of J from a variation of I, initially not distinguishing itself as a separate letter until the 17th century. He explains the different spellings that represented the J sound before the establishment of J as a distinct letter.

[80:45] Kevin Stroud: "In summary, those developments left us with three different ways to represent the D sound in English."

Phonetic Spelling Reformers and Their Impact

Throughout the episode, Kevin highlights the efforts of early spelling reformers like John Hart, Richard Mulcaster, Alexander Gill, and Robert Robinson. These scholars proposed various phonetic spelling systems to reconcile the discord between spelling and pronunciation, although most of these proposals did not gain widespread acceptance. Nonetheless, their work provides valuable insights into the pronunciation patterns of the time.

[20:10] Kevin Stroud: "Since most of those proposals contained a phonetic Alphabet and also contained passages to illustrate how the Alphabet worked, they're a gold mine for historical linguists."

Conclusion: Establishing a Pronunciation Baseline

Kevin concludes the episode by emphasizing the importance of understanding the pronunciation norms of the early 1600s as a foundation for tracing the development of regional accents and dialects. By examining the spelling and pronunciation during this period, listeners gain a clearer picture of how English evolved into its modern form.

[95:30] Kevin Stroud: "I'm going to present a view of how English was pronounced at the time. People who know far more about 17th century pronunciations than I will ever know can't agree on the details."

In anticipation of the next installment, Kevin hints at continuing the exploration of the Alphabet and further tracking the sounds of English as it spreads globally.

[99:15] Kevin Stroud: "Next time, we'll continue our look at the Alphabet and the way it reflects older pronunciations in English."

This episode serves as a comprehensive overview of the complexities of English spelling and pronunciation in the early modern period, offering listeners a rich understanding of the historical forces shaping the language. By interweaving detailed linguistic analysis with historical context, Kevin Stroud effectively demystifies the often perplexing nature of English spelling.