Benjamin Franklin to Mary (Polly) Stevenson Hewson, September 28, 1768
[September 28, 1768]
Diir Madam,
Ði a abds̸eks̸ɥn iu meek to rektifɥiiŋ a aur alfabet, “ d hat it uil bi atended ui d h ink a anviniensiz and difikɥltiz,” iz e natural uɥn; f a ar it a aluaz a akɥrz huen eni ref a armes̸ɥn iz propozed ; hue d hɥr in rilids̸ɥn, gɥvernment, l a az, and iven d a aun az lo az rods and huil karids̸iz. Ði tru kuests̸ɥn d hen, is n a at hue d hɥr d haer uil bi no difikɥltiz a ar ink a anviniensiz; bɥt hue d her d hi difikɥltiz mê n a at bi sɥrm a aunted; and hue d hɥr d hi k a anviniensiz uil n a at, a an d hi huol, bi grêtɥr d han d hi ink a anviniensiz. In d his kes, d hi difikɥltiz er onli in d hi biginiŋ a av d hi praktis: huen d hê er uɥns ovɥrkɥm, d hi advanteds̸ez er lastiŋ. To ɥi d hɥr iu a ar mi, hu spel uel in d hi prezent mod, ɥi imads̸in d hi difikɥlti a av ts̸ends̸iŋ d hat mod f a ar d hi nu, iz n a at so grêt, bɥt d hat ui mɥit pɥrfektli git ovɥr it in a uiiks rɥitiŋ. Az to d hoz hu du n a at spel uel, if d hi tu difikɥltiz er kɥmpêrd, [viz.] d hat a av tits̸iŋ d hem tru speliŋ in d hi prezent mod, and d hat a av tits̸iŋ d hem d hi nu alfabet and d hi nu speliŋ ak a ardiŋ to it; ɥi am k a anfident d hat d hi latɥr uuld bi bɥi far d hi liist. Ðê natɥrali f a al into d hi nu meħɥd alredi, az mɥts az d hi imperfeks̸ɥn a av d her alfabet uil admit a av; d hêr prezent bad speliŋ iz onli bad, bik a az k a antreri to d hi prezent bad ruls: ɥndɥr d hi nu ruls it uuld bi gud. Ði difikɥlti a av lɥrniŋ to spel uel in d hi old uê iz so grêt, d hat fiu atên it; ħ a auzands and ħ a auzands rɥitiŋ a an to old eds̸, ui d h a aut ever biiŋ ebil to akuɥir it. ’Tiz, bisɥidz, e difikɥlti k a antinuali inkriisiŋ; az d hi s a aund graduali veriz mor and mor fr a am d hi speliŋ: and to f a arenɥrs it mêks d hi lɥrniŋ to pron a auns a aur langueds̸, az riten in a aur buks, almost imp a asibil.
N a au az to “ d hi ink a anviniensiz” iu mens̸ɥn. Ði fɥrst iz; d hat “ a a a al a aur etim a alods̸iz uuld bi l a ast, k a ansikuentli ui kuld n a at asɥrteen d hi miiniŋ a av meni uɥrds.” Etim a alods̸iz er at prezent veri ɥensɥrten; bɥt sɥts̸ az d hê er, d hi old buks uuld stil prizɥrv d hem, and etim a alods̸ists uuld d hêr fɥind d hem. Uɥrds in d hi kors a av tɥim, ts̸ends̸ d her miiniŋs, az uel az d her speliŋ and pronɥnsies̸ɥn; a and ui du n a at luk to etim a alods̸i f a ar d her prezent miiniŋs. If ɥi s̸uld k a al e man e Neev and e Vilen, hi uuld hardli bi satisfɥid uiħ mɥi teliŋ him, d hat uɥn a av d hi uɥrds orids̸inali signifɥid onli e lad a ar sɥrvant; and d hi ɥ d hɥr, an ɥndɥr pl a auman, a ar d hi inhabitant a av e vileds̸. It iz fr a am prezent iuseds̸ onli, d hi miiniŋ a av uɥrds iz to bi ditɥrmined.
Iur sekɥnd ink a anviniens iz, d hat “ d hi distinks̸ɥn bituiin uɥrds a av difɥrent miiniŋ and similar s a aund uuld bi distr a aɥid.” Ðat distinks̸ɥn iz a alredi distr a aɥid in pron a aunsiŋ d hem; and ui rilɥi a an d hi sens alon a av d hi sentens to asɥrteen, huits̸ a av d hi several uɥrds, similar in s a aund, ui intend. If d his iz sɥfis̸ent in d hi rapiditi a av diskors, it uil bi muts̸ mor so in riten sentenses; huits̸ mê bi red lezs̸urli; and atended to mor partikularli in kes a av difikɥlti, d han ui kan atend to e past sentens, huɥil e spikɥr iz hɥrɥiiŋ ɥs al a aŋ uiħ nu uɥns.
Iur ħɥrd ink a anviniens iz, d hat “ a a a al d hi buks alredi riten uuld bi iusles.” Ðis ink a anviniens uuld onli kɥm a an graduali, in e kors a av eds̸es. Iu and ɥi, and ɥ d hɥr n a au liviŋ ridɥrs, uuld hardli f a arget d hi ius a av d hem. Piipil uuld long lɥrn to riid d hi old rɥitiŋ, d ho d hê praktist d hi nu. And d hi ink a anviniens iz n a at greter, d han huat hes aktuali hapend in a similar kes, in Iteli. F a armerli its inhabitants a a a al spok and rot Latin: az d hi langueds̸ ts̸ends̸d, d hi speliŋ f a alo’d it. It iz tru d hat prezent, e miir ɥnlarn’d Italien kan a at riid d hi Latin buks; d ho d he er stil red and ɥndɥrstud bɥi meni. Bɥt, if d hi speliŋ had nevɥr bin ts̸ends̸ed, hi uuld n a au hev f a aund it mɥts̸ mor difikɥlt to riid and rɥit hiz on languads̸; f a ar riten uɥrds uuld hev had no rilês̸ɥn to s a aunds, d he uuld onli hev stud f a ar d hiŋs; so d hat if hi uuld ekspres in rɥitiŋ d hi ɥidia hi hez, huen hi s a aunds d hi uɥrd Vescovo , hi mɥst iuz d hi leterz Episcopus . In s̸ a art, huatever d hi difikɥltiz and ink a anviniensiz n a au er, d he uil bi mor iizili sɥrm a aunted n a au, d han hiraftɥr; and sɥm tɥim a ar ɥ d hɥr, it mɥst bi dɥn; a ar a aur rɥitiŋ uil bikɥm d hi sêm ui d h d hi Ts̸ɥiniiz, as to d hi difikɥlti a av lɥrniŋ and iuziŋ it. And it uuld alredi hev bin sɥts̸, if ui had k a antinud d hi Saksɥn speliŋ and rɥitiŋ, iuzed bɥi our forfa d hers. ɥi am, mɥi diir frind, iurs afeks̸ɥnetli,
B. Franklin.
Lɥndɥn, Kreven-striit,
London, Craven-street, Sept. 28, 1768.
Dear Madam,
The objection you make to rectifying our alphabet, “that it will be attended with inconveniences and difficulties,” 9 is a natural one; for it always occurs when any reformation is proposed, whether in religion, government, laws, and even down as low as roads and wheel carriages. The true question then, is not whether there will be no difficulties or inconveniences; but whether the difficulties may not be surmounted; and whether the conveniences will not, on the whole, be greater than the inconveniences. In this case, the difficulties are only in the beginning of the practice; when they are once overcome, the advantages are lasting. To either you or me, who spell well in the present mode, I imagine the difficulty of changing that mode for the new is not so great, but that we might perfectly get over it in a week’s writing.
As to those who do not spell well, if the two difficulties are compared, [viz.] that of teaching them true spelling in the present mode, and that of teaching them the new alphabet and the new spelling according to it; I am confident that the latter would be by far the least. They naturally fall into the new method already, as much as the imperfection of their alphabet will admit of; Their present bad spelling is only bad, because contrary to the present bad rules; under the new rules it would be good. The difficulty of learning to spell well in the old way is so great, that few attain it; thousands and thousands writing on to old age, without ever being able to acquire it. ’Tis, besides, a difficulty continually increasing; as the sound gradually varies more and more from the spelling: and to foreigners 1 it makes the learning to pronounce our language, as written in our books, almost impossible.
Now as to “the inconveniences” you mention-the first is; “that all our etymologies would be lost, consequently we could not ascertain the meaning of many words.” Etymologies are at present very uncertain; but such as they are, the old books would still preserve them, and etymologists would there find them. Words in the course of time, change their meanings, as well as their spelling and pronunciation; and we do not look to etymology for their present meanings. If I should call a man a Knave and a Villain, he would hardly be satisfied with my telling him, that one of the words originally signified only a lad or servant; and the other, an under plowman, or the inhabitant of a village. It is from present usage only, that the meaning of words is to be determined.
Your second inconvenience is, that “the distinction between words of different meaning and similar sound would be destroyed.” That distinction is already destroyed in pronouncing them; and you rely on the sense alone of the sentence to ascertain, which of the several words, similar in sound, we intend. If this is sufficient in the rapidity of discourse, it will be much more so in written sentences; which may be read leisurely; and attended to more particularly in case of difficulty, than you can attend to a past sentence, while a speaker is hurrying us along with new ones.
Your third inconvenience is, that “all the books already written would be useless.” This inconvenience would only come on gradually, in a course of ages. You, and I, and other now living readers, would hardly forget the use of them. People would long learn to read the old writing, though they practised the new. And the inconvenience is not greater, than what has actually happened in a similar case, in Italy. Formerly its inhabitants all spoke and wrote Latin; as the language changed, the spelling follow’d it. It is true that at present, a mere unlearn’d Italian cannot read the Latin books; though they are still read and understood by many. But, if the spelling had never been changed, he would now have found it much more difficult to read and write his own language, 2 for written words would have had no relation to sounds, they would only have stood for things; so that if he would express in writing the idea he has, when he sounds the word Vescovo , he must use the letters Episcopus . In short, whatever the difficulties and inconveniences now are, they will be more easily surmounted now, than hereafter; and some time or other it must be done; or our writing will become the same with the Chinese, as to the difficulty of learning and using it. And it would already have been such, if we had continued the Saxon spelling and writing, used by our forefathers. I am, my dear friend, yours affectionately,
B. Franklin .