Why English Spelling Makes No Sense
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Why English Spelling Makes No Sense
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Episode Description:
From cough to though to hiccough, English pronunciation often feels like a cruel joke—and it’s not your fault.
In this episode of The Fluent Edge, Sean Watson and Dr. Howie Jacobson uncover the historical, cultural, and accidental chaos that makes English sound so illogical. From Vikings and French invaders to Dutch printers who didn’t speak English, you'll learn why spelling and pronunciation rarely line up—and how understanding this mess can actually make you a better speaker.
🔹 If you've ever felt fluent but still unsure how to pronounce “colonel,” “plough,” or “debris”… this episode is your validation—and your solution.
🎙️ What You’ll Learn:- Why English sounds nothing like it looks
- How “ghost” got a silent H (thanks to a Dutch typo)
- Why OUGH has 8+ pronunciations
- How to pronounce tricky TH sounds (voiced & unvoiced)
- Why native speakers also mispronounce “chaos”
- How to stop blaming yourself and start training smarter
- Shadowing (to copy native rhythm + stress)
- IPA decoding (without becoming a linguist)
- Voice recording as a fluency feedback tool
- The “soldier on” pronunciation challenge
- Real reasons spelling reform hasn’t happened
- Why English isn’t broken—it’s just experienced
🧠 Words That Will Twist Your Brain:
Tough, though, through, cough, hiccough, ghost, colonel, debris, plough, borough, soldier, knight
00:00 – Welcome & Episode Overview
01:00 – Why English feels like a trap (26 letters, 44 sounds)
02:00 – GHOTI = fish? Sean explains the chaos
03:00 – From Latin, Celtic, and Norse to Germanic
04:00 – French invaders and food words like “beef”
05:00 – Church Latin + Viking words like “sky”
06:00 – Dutch printers and silent letters
07:00 – IPA and mastering pronunciation tools
08:00 – Canadian vs. American vowels
09:00 – Why “shall” feels outdated
10:00 – Pronunciation hacks: shadowing + recording
11:00 – Accent drift and the future of English
12:00 – TH sounds explained with the touch-your-throat test
13:00 – The “hiccough” paradox and soldier challenge
14:00 – The Schwa: why “American” sounds like “Americən”
15:00 – Submit your voice! Pronounce “tough cough hiccough…”
16:00 – English is not broken—just a 2000-year remix
17:00 – Subscribe, Share, Coaching Links
Can you pronounce one or more of these sentences?
"Though the tough cough and hiccough plough me through, I soldier on."🎙️ Record yourself reading, and we might feature your voice in a future episode!
👉 Send your voice recording here
📥 And don’t forget to download the free Podcast Companion Guide with vocabulary, pronunciation tips, and more:
👉 Click here to get the guide (replace with your actual link)
📬 Let’s Connect:
💼 Coaching with Sean – English Clarity...