this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2024
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.
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It's a miracle I know it, and having to teach someone how to read and spell was an eye opener for me trying to explain "this is like this except for this one word because... Reasons and sometimes there's a variation like this because...reasons" so many times.
Agreed, I am teaching my second son to read.
I am having the same conversations as when I taught my first to read.
"ok, this word is a 'sight word' because it doesn't make the sounds you expect. It says won, but it looks like it says on-e"
Mostly the "reasons" just boil down to etymology. We spell things the way the languages we stole them from spelled them.
Usually the reason is either because some jerks intentionally changed certain spellings to look more French/Latin ("receipt" didn't have a "p" originally, for example), or just because English is such a mongrel language with words taken from various other languages with different spelling and pronunciation rules.
Having to explain to my spanish speaking friends why an english word is spelled one way but pronounced another entirely different way gave me the same experience. So many times i have to tell them: βi donβt know english is just weird.β
I once had a roommate from Chile and he asked what the difference in pronunciation was for "juice" versus "Jews". I'm still not sure I properly got the difference across...
Also the difference between "to rob" and "to steal" was an interesting thing to think through and then explain.
I can see why he'd have trouble with those two, because Spanish doesn't have the English "z" sound. They'll both sound the same using Spanish pronunciation .