Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 42 views

    English Tongue

    Uploaded by

    Christian Blantucas
    The poem highlights inconsistencies in English pronunciation and spelling, noting how words like "break" and "freak" are not rhymed despite similar spelling, and how the pronunciations of words like "blood", "food", and "good" do not match their spellings. In just 3 lines, the poem questions why the English language has so many irregularities and inconsistencies between sounds and letters.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    English Tongue

    Uploaded by

    Christian Blantucas
    42 views1 page
    The poem highlights inconsistencies in English pronunciation and spelling, noting how words like "break" and "freak" are not rhymed despite similar spelling, and how the pronunciations of words like "blood", "food", and "good" do not match their spellings. In just 3 lines, the poem questions why the English language has so many irregularities and inconsistencies between sounds and letters.

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The poem highlights inconsistencies in English pronunciation and spelling, noting how words like "break" and "freak" are not rhymed despite similar spelling, and how the pronunciations of words like "blood", "food", and "good" do not match their spellings. In just 3 lines, the poem questions why the English language has so many irregularities and inconsistencies between sounds and letters.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    42 views1 page

    English Tongue

    Uploaded by

    Christian Blantucas
    The poem highlights inconsistencies in English pronunciation and spelling, noting how words like "break" and "freak" are not rhymed despite similar spelling, and how the pronunciations of words like "blood", "food", and "good" do not match their spellings. In just 3 lines, the poem questions why the English language has so many irregularities and inconsistencies between sounds and letters.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 1

    WHEN THE ENGLISH TONGUE WE SPEAK

    Written by Lord Cromer, published in the Spectator of August 9th, 1902

    When the English tongue we speak.


    Why is break not rhymed with freak?
    Will you tell me why it's true
    We say sew but likewise few?
    And the maker of the verse,
    Cannot rhyme his horse with worse?
    Beard is not the same as heard
    Cord is different from word.
    Cow is cow but low is low
    Shoe is never rhymed with foe.
    Think of hose, dose,and lose

    And think of goose and yet with choose


    Think of comb, tomb and bomb,
    Doll and roll or home and some.
    Since pay is rhymed with say
    Why not paid with said I pray?
    Think of blood, food and good.
    Mould is not pronounced like could.
    Wherefore done, but gone and lone -
    Is there any reason known?
    To sum up all, it seems to me
    Sound and letters don't agree.

    You might also like