The biggest issue with English is the fact that is a very unscientific language! What you read is NEVER what you say! You have to know the word before and that includes the pronunciation for you to know the word properly!
Most languages including Hindi or Sanskrit and many others, you write what you say! If you know the basic alphabets then you can read the word! More importantly you will read how it has to be told or pronounced! Of course the famous line that even Pronunciation is not the correct pronounciation of pronouciation!
This is because Eventually, the noun standardized to pronunciation, but because of influence from pronounce, occasionally we still see pronounciation in print, and encounter a corresponding pronunciation for pronounciation! The actual Pronounciation is ProNUNciation!
This is so because English spelling can present problems for writers, even for those who are born into English-speaking cultures!
There are a number of letters in English that are not pronounced or pronounced differently in certain words.
But do draw little comfort from the fact that, had you lived prior to the 18th century, your “poor” spelling might have gone unnoticed. Until that time, there was considerable flexibility in the way people spelt words!
Shakespeare, for example, spelt his own name in several different ways and did not think this was remarkable. The invention of dictionaries in the 18th century “froze” the language. Thereafter, a line was drawn between “correct” and “incorrect” spelling.
Often when people correct your pronounciation and spelling, you can ask them what is the correct spelling for Shakespeare!?
Which is why Bill Bryson in his novel called ‘The Mother tongue’ explains how there were a group of great leaders and thinkers who wanted the pronounciation oriented spelling of words! This was really advanced thinking!
This group included greats like Napoleon and more recently George Bernard Shaw!
In fact Shaw’s property and will was to have used in the development of a method of Pronunciation in which you would write the spelling as you would utter the word!
Like if you want to say Deaf then the spelling in direct pronounciation would be DEF! Psycho must be Siko! This would have actually been a great endeavour! Or rather ‘GRATE ENDEVER!’ But sadly the ‘revolution’ lost its steam due to the influence of many who thought knowing the correct spelling and pronunciation of English is a ‘prAYVALEDGE’ or rather; privilege!
To know English you must learn the proNUNciation and not just read (REED!); which is maybe when you know English well you are called LEARNED! Then again that is a matter of OPEENEEYAN!
For now though there is no hope! You must learn to pronounce the word before you read it! Luckily some words are simple enough to pronounce and read! Like the name of Padma Award winner Sally Holker!
Now try to close your ‘iis’ and sleep!
SHubh Ratri!
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