The Shavian Alphabet is a phonemic spelling system for English that aims to be internationally recognizable and useful; the current standard to coalesce around rhotic Standard Southern British Engilsh mostly accomplishes that task. However, I have observed that many American learners are left confused about the distinctions made in (the ReadLex dialect of) English but not (their own dialect of) American English.
In this guide, I will propose an alternative US-based standard, and instruct you on how to use it.
What to call it?
While I propose the name “American Shavian”—“American” as in the continent(s)—early reviews pointed out that Canadians may feel left out by this name. I also suggest the alternate Shavian initialism “Cueish”: 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑱𐑛𐑾𐑯 𐑯 𐑿𐑯𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑛-𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑕 𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑦𐑖 𐑖𐑱𐑝𐑾𐑯.
Goals
The motivations behind this standard are:
- Reflect Usonan and Canadian pronunciations for words that are exceptionally pronounced differently from British.
- Do not make merges if a significant portion of Usonans and Canadians distinguish them.
- Do not split if a significant portion of Usonans and Canadians pronounce it the same, or split it differently.
Changes
Trap–bath split
The trap–bath split is present in SSBE and Australian English, but is not widespread elsewhere. Therefore, American Shavian also drops it, respelling some 𐑭’s with 𐑨’s.
A non-exhaustive list of affected words:
- advance
- advantage and vantage
- after
- aghast
- Alexander, Alexandra, Sanders, and Sandra
- answer
- ask
- basket
- bath
- blast
- branch
- brass
- calf
- can’t
- cask
- casket
- cast/caste
- caster/castor
- castle
- chance
- chant
- chorale/corral
- clasp
- class
- command
- contrast (both parts of speech)
- craft
- daft
- dance
- demand
- disaster
- draft/draught
- enhance
- example
- fast
- Flanders
- flask
- France
- gasp
- ghastly
- giraffe
- glance
- Glasgow
- glass
- graft
- grant
- grass
- half
- halve
- last
- lather
- laugh
- laughter
- mask/masque
- mast
- master
- morale
- mustache/moustache (irregular: 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑖, not 𐑥𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑭𐑖)
- nasty
- pass
- past
- pastor
- pasture
- path
- plant
- plaster
- raft
- ranch
- rasp
- raspberry
- rather
- rationale
- reprimand
- sample
- shaft
- slander
- slant
- staff
- task
- vast
The “Foreign A” vowel
AmE and SSBE treat the “A” in certain loanwords differently, in a split that goes the other way around from the trap–bath split. Therefore, some 𐑨’s are replaced by 𐑭’s.
- latte
- mafia
- pasta
- taco
The CLOTH lexical set
While SSBE puts the “CLOTH” vowel with the “LOT” vowel, AmE puts the “CLOTH” vowel with the “THOUGHT” vowel. Therefore, some (not all) words with 𐑪 will be respelled using 𐑷.
- bomb
- boss
- Boston
- broth
- chocolate
- cloth
- coffin
- cost
- cough
- coffee (variable according to Wikipedia)
- cross
- dog
- floss
- foster
- frost
- froth
- gloss(y)
- gone
- loss
- lost
- loft
- moth
- often
- on (variable according to Wikipedia)
- off (variable according to Wikipedia)
- soft
- soften
- toss
- Washington
- wash
- water
One-off changes
Here is a non-exhaustive list of words differently pronounced between American and British English without an apparent pattern (or a small enough pattern to not really matter):
- adult (𐑩𐑛𐑳𐑤𐑑, not 𐑨𐑛𐑳𐑤𐑑)
- advertisement (𐑨𐑛𐑝𐑼𐑑𐑲𐑟𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑, not 𐑨𐑛𐑝𐑻𐑑𐑦𐑕𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑)
- buffet (𐑚𐑳𐑓𐑱, not 𐑚𐑳𐑓𐑩𐑑)
- controversy (𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑝𐑻𐑕𐑦, not 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑪𐑝𐑼𐑕𐑦)
- England (𐑰𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑛, not 𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑛)
- English (𐑰𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑦𐑖, not 𐑦𐑙𐑜𐑤𐑦𐑖)
- from (𐑓𐑮𐑳𐑥, not 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥)
- garage (𐑜𐑼𐑭𐑠, not 𐑜𐑨𐑮𐑦𐑡)
- herb (𐑻𐑚, not 𐑣𐑻𐑚)
- filet/fillet (𐑓𐑦𐑤𐑱, not 𐑓𐑦𐑤𐑩𐑑)
- mobile [adjective] (𐑥𐑴𐑚𐑲𐑤, not 𐑥𐑴𐑚𐑩𐑤)
- palm (𐑐𐑷𐑥, not 𐑐𐑭𐑥)
- premature (𐑐𐑮𐑰𐑥𐑩𐑗𐑫𐑼, not 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑥𐑩𐑗𐑫𐑼)
- privacy (𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑝𐑩𐑕𐑦, not 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑝𐑩𐑕𐑦)
- progress [noun] (𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑜𐑮𐑧𐑕, not 𐑐𐑮𐑴𐑜𐑮𐑧𐑕)
- risotto (𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑴𐑑𐑴, not 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑪𐑑𐑴)
- salon (𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑪𐑯, not 𐑕𐑨𐑤𐑪𐑯)
- schedule (𐑕𐑒𐑧𐑡𐑵𐑤, not 𐑖𐑧𐑡𐑵𐑤)
- tomato (𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑱𐑑𐑴, not 𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑭𐑑𐑴)
- valet (𐑝𐑨𐑤𐑱, not 𐑝𐑨𐑤𐑩𐑑)
- vase (𐑝𐑱𐑕, not 𐑝𐑭𐑟)
- vitamin (𐑝𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑦𐑯, not 𐑝𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑦𐑯)
- was (𐑢𐑳𐑟, not 𐑢𐑪𐑟)
- zebra (𐑟𐑰𐑚𐑮𐑩, not 𐑟𐑧𐑚𐑮𐑩)
Changes that will NOT be made
Some recurring sources of confusion from American learners will be left as-is, because of increased confusion from AmE speakers who do not have those mergers and alterations.
The suggested solution to learn these distinctions is to be exposed to foreign accents that have them.
Baht, bot, bought
The three-way merger between “baht”, “bot”, and “bought” will not be made, as its adoption is not widespread in New England, and merging them will cause unnecessary confusion.
Jammer, hammer
The raised realization of TRAP before some nasal consonants will not be distinguished, as this allophonic variation is not widespread or consistently done to the same words throughout the US.
Mary, marry, merry
The three-way merger between “Mary”, “marry”, and “merry” will also not be made due to the same reason as the other three-way merger. Some American speakers merge two of them but leave one distinct, or even distinguish between all three.
The CURE vowel
The CURE vowel in “sure” and “you’re” will still be spelled 𐑫𐑼, since there is no decisive majority for pronouncing it 𐑻 or 𐑹.
STRUT–commA, NURSE–lettER, and FLEECE–happY
These six lexical sets cause confusion in many American English speakers, because for many of them, these sound the same. However, since they serve important roles in determining the stressed syllable of a word, they will not be merged.
Perfect STRUT–commA minimal pairs
- august [adjective] (𐑷𐑜𐑳𐑕𐑑) / August [name and month] (𐑷𐑜𐑩𐑕𐑑)
- discuss (𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑳𐑕) / discus (𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑩𐑕)
- discusses (𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑳𐑕𐑩𐑟) / discuses (𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑒𐑩𐑕𐑩𐑟)
- entrust (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑) / interest (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑)
- entrusted (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛) / interested (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛)
- entrusting (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙) / interesting (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙)
- entrusts (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑕) / interests (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕)
- hedlund (𐑣𐑧𐑛𐑤𐑳𐑯𐑛) / headland (𐑣𐑧𐑛𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑛)
- hum (𐑣𐑳𐑥) / hmm (𐑣𐑩𐑥)
- hummed (𐑣𐑳𐑥𐑛) / hmmed (𐑣𐑩𐑥𐑛)
- humming (𐑣𐑳𐑥𐑦𐑙) / hmming (𐑣𐑩𐑥𐑦𐑙)
- hums (𐑣𐑳𐑥𐑟) / hmms (𐑣𐑩𐑥𐑟)
- intrust (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑) / interest (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑)
- intrusted (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛) / interested (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛)
- intrusting (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙) / interesting (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑙)
- intrusts (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑕) / interests (𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕)
- subject [noun] (𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑) / subject [verb] (𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑)
- subjects [noun] (𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕) / subjects [verb] (𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕)
- suspect [noun] (𐑕𐑳𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑) / suspect [verb] (𐑕𐑩𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑)
- suspects [noun] (𐑕𐑳𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕) / suspects [verb] (𐑕𐑩𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕)
- upend (𐑳𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛) / append (𐑩𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛)
- upended (𐑳𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛) / appended (𐑩𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑩𐑛)
- upending (𐑳𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑙) / appending (𐑩𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑙)
- upends (𐑳𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟) / appends (𐑩𐑐𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟)
- uprising (𐑳𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙) / apprising (𐑩𐑐𐑮𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙)
Perfect NURSE–lettER minimal pairs
- bestir (𐑚𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑻) / Bicester [town in Oxfordshire] (𐑚𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑼)
- chauffeuse(s) (𐑖𐑴𐑓𐑻𐑟) / chauffeurs (𐑖𐑴𐑓𐑼𐑟)
- defer (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑻) / differ (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼)
- deferred (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑻𐑛) / differed (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑛)
- deferring (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑻𐑦𐑙) / differing (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑦𐑙)
- defers (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑻𐑟) / differs (𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑟)
- demur (𐑛𐑦𐑥𐑻) / dimmer (𐑛𐑦𐑥𐑼)
- divers [archaic form of “diverse”] (𐑛𐑲𐑝𐑻𐑟) / divers (𐑛𐑲𐑝𐑼𐑟)
- err (𐑻) / er (𐑼)
- ferment [noun] (𐑓𐑻𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑑) / ferment [verb] (𐑓𐑼𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑑)
- ferments [noun] (𐑓𐑻𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑕) / ferments [verb] (𐑓𐑼𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑕)
- foreword (𐑓𐑹𐑢𐑻𐑛) / forward (𐑓𐑹𐑢𐑼𐑛)
- forewords (𐑓𐑹𐑢𐑻𐑛𐑟) / forwards (𐑓𐑹𐑢𐑼𐑛𐑟)
- perfume [US noun] (𐑐𐑻𐑓𐑿𐑥) / perfume [US verb, UK always] (𐑐𐑼𐑓𐑿𐑥)
- perfumes [US noun] (𐑐𐑻𐑓𐑿𐑥𐑟) / perfumes [US verb, UK always] (𐑐𐑼𐑓𐑿𐑥𐑟)
- permit [noun] (𐑐𐑻𐑥𐑦𐑑) / permit [verb] (𐑐𐑼𐑥𐑦𐑑)
- permits [noun] (𐑐𐑻𐑥𐑦𐑑𐑕) / permits [verb] (𐑐𐑼𐑥𐑦𐑑𐑕)
- poseur (𐑐𐑴𐑟𐑻) / poser (𐑐𐑴𐑟𐑼)
- poseurs/poseuse (𐑐𐑴𐑟𐑻𐑟) / posers (𐑐𐑴𐑟𐑼𐑟)
- survey [noun] (𐑕𐑻𐑝𐑱) / survey [verb] (𐑕𐑼𐑝𐑱)
- surveys [noun] (𐑕𐑻𐑝𐑱𐑟) / surveys [verb] (𐑕𐑼𐑝𐑱𐑟)
Perfect FLEECE–happY minimal pairs:
- bailee (𐑚𐑱𐑤𐑰) / bailey (𐑚𐑱𐑤𐑦)
- bootee (𐑚𐑵𐑑𐑰) / booty (𐑚𐑵𐑑𐑦)
- CD (𐑕𐑰𐑛𐑰) / seedy (𐑕𐑰𐑛𐑦)
- draftee (𐑛𐑮𐑨𐑓𐑑𐑰) / draughty/drafty (𐑛𐑮𐑨𐑓𐑑𐑦)
- guarantee (𐑜𐑨𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑰) / guaranty (𐑜𐑨𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦)
- P.T. (𐑐𐑰𐑑𐑰) / peaty (𐑐𐑰𐑑𐑦)
- stelae (𐑕𐑑𐑰𐑤𐑰) / steely (𐑕𐑑𐑰𐑤𐑦)
- tempi (𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑰) / tempe (𐑑𐑧𐑥𐑐𐑦)
- trustee (𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑰) / trusty (𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑦)
- warrantee (𐑢𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑰) / warranty (𐑢𐑪𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑦)
Pre-L breaking
“Pre-L breaking” refers to the tendency for some speakers to insert an epenthetic 𐑩 between a high diphthong (𐑰, 𐑱, 𐑶, 𐑲, 𐑵, 𐑿, 𐑴, 𐑬) and 𐑤, so that “vile” merges with “vial”, and “foul” rhymes with “vowel”.
Since this feature is not universal across the US and Canada, and inserting an epenthetic vowel comes naturally to these speakers when reading, Pre-L breaking will not be reflected in spelling.
Yod-dropping/-coalescence
Yod-dropping is the act of dropping the 𐑘 sound of 𐑿 after certain consonants, like how some speakers merge “new” with “gnu”, and “Tuesday” with “two’s day”. After 𐑑 and 𐑕, SSBE speakers tend to exhibit yod-coalescence instead, turning “Tuesday” into “choose day” instead. This ambiguity is signaled to the reader by the compound letter “𐑿” to start with.
Just as British Shavian doesn’t spell “Tuesday” as “𐑗𐑵𐑟𐑛𐑱”, American Shavian will not spell “Tuesday” as “𐑑𐑵𐑟𐑛𐑱”.
You can’t handle the chruth
For similar reasons, turning 𐑑 and 𐑛 before 𐑮 into 𐑗 and 𐑡 will not be done, since it is simply allophonic variation and has the potential to confuse readers with obscured derivation (e.g. 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼 → 𐑢𐑦𐑯𐑗𐑮𐑦).