Why can't anybody spell?

Weird or wierd? Minuscule or miniscule? Spelling has stumped, intrigued and infuriated us for centuries.

The following is an extract from “Accomodating Brocolli in the Cemetary : or, why can't anybody spell?” by linguistics professor Vivian Cook:

English spelling is far more systematic than most people suspect. The most well-known rule 'i before e except after c' applies to only 11 out of the 10,000 most common words of English - eight forms of receive, plus ceiling, receipt and perceive.

Many people argue that English spelling is simply awful. Six out of 10 15-year-olds can't write 10 lines without making at least one spelling mistake and adults struggle with words such as accommodate and broccoli all their lives.

The book by Vivian Cook is available in the UK if you really want to “break out of the spell.”

Link to book availiability here.