Tu retrn, after [dh]is digre[sh]en, tu Mr. Pitman'z alfabet, ei rept [dh]at it rekomendz itself tu mei meind bei hwot [dh]erz k[w]l its inakiurasi. It [sh]ez its ral and praktikal wizdom bei not atempti[n] tu fiks eni disti[n]k[sh]onz hwi[ch] ar not absol[ue]tli nesesari. If, for instans, w t[e]k [dh]e gtral teniuis, w feind that I[n]gli[sh] rekogneizez wn k [o]nli, [w]l[dh]e its pronnsi[e][sh]on v[e]riz konsiderabli. It iz smteimz pronoúnst s[o] az tu prodiús [w]lmost a [sh]arp krak; smteimz it haz a dp, hol[o] sound; and smteimz a soft, l[e]zi, mouillé karakter. It v[e]riz konsiderabli akordi[n] tu [dh]e vouelz hwi[ch] fol[o] it, az enibodi m[e] hr, n[e] fl, if h pronoúnsez in skse[sh]on, kot, k[ue]l, kar, kat, kit. Bt az I[n]gli[sh] dz not y[ue]z [dh]z diferent kz for the prpos ov disti[n]gwi[sh]i[n] wrdz or gramatikal formz, wn br[w]d kategori [o]nli ov voisles gtral [ch]eks haz tu b admited in reiti[n] I[n]gli[sh]. In [dh]e Semitik la[n]gwejez [dh]e k[e]s iz diferent; not [o]nli ar kaf and kof diferent in sound, bt [dh]is diforens iz y[ue]zd tu disti[n]gwi[sh] diferent mni[n]z.
Or if w t[e]k [dh]e vouel a in its orijinal, piur pronnsi[e][sh]on, leik Italian a, w kan zili persv [dh]at it haz diferent klorz in diferent kountiz ov I[n]gland. Yet in reiti[n] it m[e] b trted az wn, bek[w]z it haz bt wn and [dh]e s[e]m gramatikal inten[sh]on, and dz not konv[é] a niu mni[n] til it eksdz its weidest limits. Gud spkerz in I[n]gland pronoúns [dh]e a in last leik [dh]e piur Italian a; wi[dh] [dh]erz it bekmz br[w]d, wi[dh] [dh]erz [t]in. Bt [dh]e it m[e] [dh]s osil[e]t konsiderabli, it [pg 184] mst not enkr[o][ch]; on [dh]e provins ov e, hwi[ch] wud [ch][e]nj its mni[n] tu lest; nor on [dh]e provins ov o, hwk[ch] wud [ch]enj it tu lost; nor on [dh]e provins ov u, hwi[ch] wud [ch]enj it tu lust.
[Dh]e difiklti, [dh]erfor, hwi[ch] Ar[ch]bi[sh]op Trench haz pointed out iz rali restrikted tu [dh][o]z k[e]sez hwer [dh]e pronnsi[e][sh]on ov vouelz—for it iz wi[dh] vouelz [ch]fli [dh]at w ar trbeld—v[e]riz s[o] m[ch] az tu [o]verstep [dh]e br[w]dest limits ov wn ov [dh]e rekogneizd kategoriz ov sound, and tu enkr[o][ch] on an[dh]er. If w t[e]k [dh]e wrd fast, hwi[ch] iz pronoúnst veri diferentli ven bei ediuk[e]ted ppel, [dh]er wud b no nesesiti for indiketi[n] in reiti[n] [dh]e diferent [sh][e]dz ov pronnsi[e][sh]on hwi[ch] lei betwn [dh]e sound ov [dh]e [sh]ort Italian a and [dh]e lo[n] a herd in father. Bt hwen [dh]e a in fast iz pronoúnst leik [dh]e a in fat, [dh]en [dh]e nesesiti ov a niu grafik eksp[o]nent wud areiz, and Ar[ch]bi[sh]op Trench wud b reit in twiti[n] f[o]netik reformerz wi[dh] sa[n]k[sh]oni[n] t[úe] speli[n]z for [dh]e s[e]m wrd.
Ei kud men[sh]on [dh]e n[e]mz ov [t]r bi[sh]ops, wn ov h[ue]m pronoúnst [dh]e vouel in God leik G[w]d, an[dh]er leik rod, a [t]erd leik gad. [Dh]e last pronnsi[e][sh]on wud probabli b kondemd bei everibodi, bt [dh]e [dh]er t[ú] wud rem[e]n sa[n]k[sh]ond bei [dh]e heiest [w][t]oriti, and [dh]erfor ret[e]nd in fonetik reiti[n].
S[o] far, [dh]en, ei admit [dh]at Ar[ch]bi[sh]op Trench haz pointed out a ral difiklti inhrent in f[o]netik reiti[n]; bt hwot iz [dh]at wn difiklti komp[e]rd wi[dh] [dh]e difikltiz [pg 185] ov [dh]e prezent sistem ov I[n]gli[sh] speli[n]? It wud not b onest tu trei tu ev[e]d hiz [ch]arj, bei s[e]i[n] [dh]at [dh]er iz bt wn pronnsi[e][sh]on rekogneizd bei [dh]e y[ue]zej ov ediuk[e]ted ppel. [Dh]át iz not so, and [dh][o]z h[ue] n[o] best [dh]e beioloji ov la[n]gwej, no [dh]at it kan[o]t b s[o]. [Dh]e veri leif ov la[n]gwej konsists in a konstant fri[sh]on betwn [dh]e sentripetal f[o]rs ov kstom and [dh]e sentrifiugal fors ov individiual frdom. Agenst [dh]at difiklti [dh][e]rfor, [dh]er iz n[o] remedi. [O]nli hr agen [dh]e Ar[ch]bi[sh]op smz tu hav overlukt [dh]e fakt [dh]at [dh]e difiklti belo[n]z tu [dh]e prezent sistem ov speli[n] nrli az m[ch] az tu [dh]e fonetik sistem. [Dh]er iz bt wn rekogneizd w[e] ov speli[n], bt everibodi pronoúnsez akordi[n] tu hiz [o]n idiosinkrasiz. It wud b [dh]e s[e]m wi[dh] f[o]netik speli[n]. Wn pronnsie[sh]on, [dh]e best rekogneizd, wud hav tu b adopted az a standard in fonetik reiti[n], lvi[n] tu everi Ingli[sh]man hiz frdom tu pronoúns az sme[t] gud tu him. W [sh]ud l[ue]z n[t]i[n] ov hwot w nou pozés, and [w]l [dh]e advantejez ov f[o]netik reiti[n] wud rem[e]n nimp[e]rd. [Dh]e ral st[e]t ov [dh]e k[e]s iz, [dh][e]rfor, [dh]is—N[o]wn defendz [dh]e prezent sistem ov speli[n]; everiwn admits [dh]e sris injuri hwi[ch] it inflikts on na[sh]onal ediuk[e][sh]on. Everibodi admits [dh]e praktikal advantejez ov fonetik speli[n], bt after [dh]át, [w]l eksklem [dh]at a reform ov speli[n], hw[o]der par[sh]al or komplt, iz imposibel. Hwe[dh]er it iz imposibel or not, ei gladli lv tu men ov de wrld tu deseid. Az a skolar, az a stiudent ov [dh]e histori ov la[n]gwej, ei simpli m[e]nten [dh]at in everi riten la[n]gwej [pg 186] a reform ov speli[n] iz, s[ue]nler or l[e]ter, inevitabel. N[o] dout [dh]e vil d[e] m[e] b put of. Ei hav litel dout [dh]at it wil b put of for meni jener[e][sh]onz, and [dh]at a ral reform wil probabli not b karid eksept konkrentli wi[dh] a veiolent so[sh]al konvl[sh]on. Onli let [dh]e kwestion b argiud f[e]rli. Let fakts hav sm w[e]t, and let it not b sp[o]zd bei men ov [dh]e wrld [dh]at [dh]oz h[ue] defend [dh]e prinsipelz ov [dh]e Fonetik Niuz ar [o]nli ttotalerz and vejet[e]rianz, h[ue] hav never lernd hou tu spel.
If ei hav sp[o]ken stro[n]li in sport ov Mr. Pitman'z sistem, it iz not bek[w]z on [w]l points ei konsider it siuprior tu [dh]e sistemz prep[e]rd bei [dh]er reformerz, h[ue] ar d[e]li inkrsi[n] in nmber, bt [ch]fli bek[w]z it haz bn tested so larjli, and haz stud [dh]e test wel. Mr. Pitman'z F[o]netik Jrnal haz nou [1880] bn pbli[sh]t [t]erti-[e]t yrz, and if it iz non [dh]at it iz pbli[sh]t wkli in 12,000 kopiz, [ch] kopi reprezenti[n] at lst for or feiv rderz, it m[e] not sm so veri f[ue]li[sh], after [w]l, if w imajin [dh]at [dh]er iz sm veital pouer in [dh]át insiguifikant jerm.]