The spelling of an English word can vary, much depending,
Upon the writer's education, and their point of view,
Such words as flavor, savor, and those words with such an ending,
Come out in British spelling with an extra letter "u".

The roots of many languages though common have been split,
Until the spelling seems quite strange to those who read it well,
Where words like traveler and traveling all take a hit,

And in English English come out clearly with a double "l"

Pronunciation tells us that a than is "then" instead,
And the lazy use of language gives the speller extra thinking,
With vowels and silent consonants which swirl within their head,
And could tempt the working writer to stop writing and start drinking.

The differentiation twixt the words spelled too and to,
Or the use of their or they're or there, a complex, deep decision,
The vagaries of language, which presents a you or yew,
And demands that choices are correct and written with precision.

How oft we can reflect on the vocabulary learned,
In classrooms where we learn to quote the order of the letters,
And children in their eagerness with fault are often burned,
As they try so hard to spell such words and to impress their betters.

And then, against the flow of learning, text their friends with glee,
With words defying all the rules of spelling they are taught,
It's no surprise they cannot now distinguish "the" from "thee",
Or despair at the dilemma of the choice of aught or ought.

The English language, rich in words, a speller's paradise,
Where learners can enrich their lives extending their expression,
And write in complex detail and avoid such words as "nice",
Which say little of what people mean, and act as a digression.

So next time you take pen to paper, think of dotting i's,
And writing words with clarity, with letters placed so well,
To show appreciation of those teachers, oh so wise,
Who took the time to help you grow, and taught you how to spell.

Learn more about this author, Rachelle de Bretagne.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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