Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phonology, reading, and Chomsky and Halle's optimal orthography

  • Published:
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chomsky and Halle claim that an orthography based on their underlying phonological representations (UPR) of lexical items would be optimal for English. This paper challenges three of C & H's basic phonological assumptions, that their vowel shift rule is valid, that the UPR is the only sound representation to be listed in the lexicon, and that derived words do not appear as wholes in the lexicon. A less abstract phonological representation level based on the conscious perceptions of speakers, the surface phonemic (SPR), is proposed. An SPR-based orthography has advantages which a UPR-based orthography would not: it is easy to learn and teach, it can be learned at an early age, and it permits rapid detection of rhyme. It is concluded that an orthography based on SPRs, and not UPRs, would be optimal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berko, J. (1958). The child's learning of English morphology.Word 14, 150–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, C. (1970). Reading, writing, and phonology.Harvard Educ. Rev. 40, (2): 287–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N., and Halle, M. (1968).The Sound Pattern of English. Harper and Row, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenyon, J., Knott, T. (1944).A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English. Merriam, Springfield, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiparsky, P. (1968). Linguistic universals and linguistic change. In Bach, E. and Harms, R. (eds.),Universals in Linguistic Theory. Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krohn, R., Steinberg, D., and Kobayashi, L. (1972). The Psychological validity of Chomsky & Halles' vowel shift rule.Abstract Guide of xxth International Congress of Psychology. Toyko, p. 405.

  • Ladefoged, P. (1970). The phonetic framework of generative phonology.UCLA Working Papers 14, 24–32. (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maher, J. P. (1969). The paradox of creation and tradition in grammar: sound pattern of a palimpsest.Lang. Sci. 7, 15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maher, J. P. (1971). Etymology and generative phonology in traditional lexicon.Gen. Ling. 11 (2): 71–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, H. (1969).English Word-Formation 2nd ed. Beck, Munich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sapir, E. (1921).Language: An introduction to the study of speech. Harcourt, Brace, Harvest Books, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schane, S. (1971). The phoneme revisitedLanguage 47, (3): 503–521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, D. (1971). Would an orthography based on Chomsky and Halle's underlying phonological representations be optimal?Working Papers in Linguistics, University of Hawaii,3 (3): 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English as a Second Language, University of Hawaii, 96822, Honolulu, Hawaii

    Danny D. Steinberg

Authors
  1. Danny D. Steinberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This research was supported in part by Office of Education contract OEC-9-71-0036(508), project 1-0527, to D. Steinberg and R. Krohn.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Steinberg, D.D. Phonology, reading, and Chomsky and Halle's optimal orthography. J Psycholinguist Res 2, 239–258 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067104

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067104

Keywords

Search

Navigation