A Finnish-style orthography for the English language
Introduction
I have designed a new orthography for British English (RP), based on how I imagine a monolingual Finnish speaker might hear it. Thus, the orthography lacks some important distinctions.
Words are always written in their stressed form – e.g. the always becomes tii, from the pronunciation /ðiː/.
The final /r/ of a word is only written if the next word begins with a vowel: e.g. a star was born becomes ei staa vos poon but a star in the sky becomes ei staar in tii skai. On this page, a final r in parentheses – e.g. staa(r) – means you must write one form or the other.
Consonants
| IPA | How to write | Examples | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| before | after | |||
| /m/ | m | mat | mät | |
| /n/ | n | low, no | lou, nou | |
| /ŋk/, /ŋg/, /ŋ/ | nk | sink, finger, sing | sink, vinkö, sink | |
| /p/, /b/ | p | pit, bit | pit, pit | |
| /t/, /d/, /θ/, /ð/ | t | tin, deck, thin, this | tin, tek, tin, tis | |
| /k/, /ɡ/ | k | cut, kick, get | kat, kik, ket | |
| /tʃ/, /dʒ/ | ts | check, match, judge | tsek, mäts, tsats | |
| /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ | s | sit, zap, ship, vision | sit, säp, sip, visön | |
| /h/, /x/ | h | hit, loch | hit, loh | |
| /f/ | life, lift, stiffness, fifth | laih, liht, stihnes, viht | before a stop or an affricate, or word-finally | |
| v | fight, fly, fume | vait, vlai, vjuum | before a vowel, an approximant or a fricative | |
| /v/, /w/ | very, warm, wives, give | veri, voom, vaivs, kiv | ||
| /r/ | r | ride, carry | rait, käri | not word-finally |
| (r) | cure, near, star | kjuo(r), nie(r), staa(r) | word-finally; see note on final /r/ above | |
| /l/ | l | love | lav | |
| /j/ | j | yes, use | jes, juus | either meaning of “use” |
Scientific extensions
In scientific contexts, more consonants can be distinguished with diacritics. We don't use new basic letters because they would slow down readers accustomed to the non-scientific orthography. The diacritics are:
- the stroke in ŧ means the sound is /θ/ or /ð/
- the caron in š means the sound is /ʃ/ or /ʒ/; also, tš = /tʃ/
- the tilde in ṽ means the sound is /w/
- the dot in ṿ means the sound is /f/
- the dot in ṗ, ṭ, ḳ and ṣ means the sound is voiced (/b/, /d/, /ɡ/ and /z/, respectively); also, nḳ = /ŋg/ or /ŋ/, and ṭš = /dʒ/
Notes:
- /f/ before a stop or an affricate, or word-finally, is still spelled h; again, this is to not confuse readers who don't know the scientific orthography, and there is little functional load between /f/ and /h/ in those positions.
- The dot below is not used as a second diacritic with ŧ or š because that would require combining diacritics.
These scientific extensions will not be used elsewhere on this page unless where noted.
Vowels
| IPA | How to write | Examples | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| before | after | |||
| /æ/ | ä | trap | träp | |
| /ʌ/ | a | strut | strat | |
| /ɒ/ | o | lot, cloth | lot, klot | |
| /e/ | e | dress, bread | tres, pret | |
| /ɪ/ | i | kit, happy | kit, häpi | |
| /i/ | ||||
| /ʊ/ | u | foot, put | vut, put | |
| /ə(r)/ | ö(r) | comma, letter, letters | komö, letö(r), letös | see note on final /r/ above |
| /iː/ | ii | fleece, eat | vliis, iit | |
| /uː/ | uu | goose, lose, use | kuus, luus, juus | either meaning of “use” |
| /aɪ/ | ai | price, tie, eye | prais, tai, ai | |
| /eɪ/ | ei | face, say | veis, sei | |
| /ɔɪ/ | oi | choice, soy | tsois, soi | |
| /aʊ/ | au | mouth, now | maut, nau | |
| /əʊ/ | ou | goat, no, note, owe | kout, nou, nout, ou | |
| /ɑː(r)/ | aa(r) | bath, palm, spa, star, stars, start | paat, paam, spaa, staa(r), staas, staat | see note on final /r/ above |
| /ɔː(r)/ | oo(r) | thought, broad, awe, north, force, or | toot, proot, oo, noot, voos, oo(r) | |
| /ɜː(r)/ | öö(r) | nurse, terse, blur, blurs | nöös, töös, plöö(r), plöös | |
| /ɪə(r)/ | ie(r) | near, nears | nie(r), nies | |
| /ɛə(r)/ | ee(r) | square, squares | skvee(r), skvees | |
| /ʊə(r)/ | uo(r) | cure, cures | kjuo(r), kjuos | |
Hiatus is marked with an apostrophe if the vowel letters would otherwise form a long vowel or a valid diphthong, or if there are more than two consecutive vowel letters: reenact, reentrant, Lithuania → rii’inäkt, rii’entrönt, Litju’einiö.
The alphabet
| Letter | Name | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| A | aa | /ɑː/ |
| E | ee(r) | /ɛə(r)/ |
| H | hoo | /hɔː/ |
| I | ii | /iː/ |
| J | jii | /jiː/ |
| K | koo | /kɔː/ |
| L | äl | /æl/ |
| M | äm | /æm/ |
| N | än | /æn/ |
| O | oo | /ɔː/ |
| P | pee(r) | /pɛə(r)/ |
| R | ärö | /ærə/ |
| S | äs | /æs/ |
| T | tee(r) | /tɛə(r)/ |
| U | uu | /uː/ |
| V | vee(r) | /vɛə(r)/ |
| Ä | vinis aa | /vinis ɑː/ |
| Ö | vinis oo | /vinis ɔː/ |
I think the “square” vowel is a better match for Finnish /eː/ than the “face” vowel is.
Names are respelled according to the new orthography: e.g. Winston Churchill becomes Vinstön Tsöötsil.
Acronyms are also respelled and their pronunciation changes accordingly; examples:
| Before | After | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| UK | JK | /jiː kɔː/ |
| GBP | KPP | /kɔː pɛə pɛə(r)/ |
| LGBTQIA+ | LKPTKIE+ | /æl kɔː pɛə tɛə kɔː iː ɛə plas/ |
Examples
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Ool hjuumön pii’inks aa poon vrii änt iikvöl in tikniti änt raits. Tei aar intaut vit riisön änt konsöns änt sut äkt tövoots van änatör in ei spirit ov pratöhut.
With scientific diacritics:
Ool hjuumön ṗii’inḳṣ aa ṗoon ṿrii änṭ iikṽöl in ṭiḳniti änṭ raits. Ŧei aar inṭauṭ ṽiŧ riiṣön änṭ konšöns änṭ šuṭ äkt töṽooṭṣ ṽan änaŧör in ei spirit ov ṗraŧöhuṭ.
(source: Omniglot – UDHR in Germanic languages)
The North Wind and the Sun
Tii Noot Vint änt tii San vee tispjuutink vits vos stronkö, ven ei trävölö keim ölonk räpt in ei voom klouk. Tei ökriit tät tii van huu vööst söksiitöt in meikink tii trävölö teik his klouk oh sut pii könsitööt stronkö tän tii atö. Ten tii Noot Vint pluu äs haat äs hii kut, pat tii moo hii pluu tii moo klousli tit tii trävölö voult his klouk öraunt him. Änt ät laast tii Noot Vint keiv ap tii ötempt. Ten tii San saint aut voomli, änt imiitiötli tii trävölö tuk oh his klouk. Änt sou tii Noot Vint vos öplaitst tuu könves tät tii San vos stronkör ov tii tuu.
The Tower of Babel
- Nau tii houl ööt hät van länkvits änt tii seim vööts.
- Änt äs piipöl maikreitiit vrom tii iist, tei vaunt ei plein in tii länt of Sainaar änt setölt tee.
- Änt tei set tuu van änatö, "Kam, let as meik priks, änt pöön tem taröli." Änt tei hät prik voo stoun, änt pitjumin voo mootö.
- Ten tei set, "Kam, let as pilt auöselvs ei siti änt ei tauö vit its top in tii hevöns, änt let as meik ei neim voor auöselvs, lest vii pii tispööst ouvö tii veis ov tii houl ööt."
- Änt tii Loot keim taun tuu sii tii siti änt tii tauö, vits tii tsiltren ov män hät pilt.
- Änt tii Loot set, "Pihoult, tei aa van piipöl, änt tei häv ool van länkvits, änt tis is ounli tii pikinink ov vot tei vil tuu. Änt natink tät tei pröpous tuu duu vil nau pii imposipöl voo tem.
- Kam, let as kou taun änt tee könvjuus tee länkvits, so tät tei mei not antöstänt van änatös spiits."
- Sou tii Loot tispööst tem vrom teer ouvö tii veis ov ool tii ööt, änt tei leht oh piltink tii siti.
- Teevoor its neim vos koolt Peipöl, pikos tee tii Loot könvjuust tii länkvits ov ool tii ööt. Änt vrom tee tii Loot tispööst tem ouvö tii veis ov ool tii ööt.
(source: Omniglot – The Tower of Babel)
Numbers 0–20
sierou, van, tuu, trii, voo(r), vaiv, siks, sevön, eit, nain, ten, ilevön, tvelv, töötiin, vootiin, vihtiin, sikstiin, sevöntiin, eitiin, naintiin, tventi
With scientific diacritics:
ṣierou, ṽan, tuu, ŧrii, ṿoo(r), ṿaiv, siks, sevön, eit, nain, ten, ilevön, tṽelv, ŧöötiin, ṿootiin, ṿihtiin, sikstiin, sevöntiin, eitiin, naintiin, tṽenti
The countries of Europe
Aislönt, Ai’ölönt, Estouniö, Hanköri, Itöli, Juukrein, Juunaitit Kinktöm, Kriis, Krou’eisö, Laksömpöök, Liktönstain, Litju’einiö, Lätviö, Moltouvö, Montinekrou, Monökou, Mooltö, Netölönts, Noot Mäsötouniö, Noovei, Ostriö, Palkeeriö, Peltsöm, Pelöruus, Pootsököl, Posniö änt Höötsökouviinö, Poulönt, Rasö, Roumeiniö, Saiprös, Slouviiniö, Slouväkiö, Spein, Sviitön, Svitsölönt, Sän Möriinou, Sööpiö, Tenmaak, Tsek Ripaplik, Tsöömöni, Tööki/Töökiijei, Vinlänt, Vraans, Vätikön Siti, Älpeiniö, Äntoorö
The (old) alphabet song
(See above for the real new alphabet.)
ei, pii, sii, tii, ii, eh, tsii, eits, ai, tsei, kei, el, em, en, ou, pii, kjuu, aar, es, tii, juu, vii, tapöljuu, eks, vai, set