NEW ENGLISH ALPHABET - 26 CONSONANTS

This is the new symbol for the sound of "P" (or p) in words like "Pittsburg", "appetite", "trip", etc. It's a pictograph of the upper and lower lips joining to make a plosive sound.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "B" (or b) in words like "Boston", "object", "cab", etc. It's a pictograph like P, but with a curl on the lower right leg to indicate that voiced plosive sound.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "F" (or f) in words like "Florida", "after", "tough", etc. It's another pictograph, but with the upper teeth meeting the lower lip to make that hissing, fricative sound.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "V" in words like "Vermont", "savvy", "suave", etc. It's similar to F, but with a curl on the lower left leg to indicate that voiced fricative sound.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "M" (or m) in words like "Memphis", "amount", "stream", etc. It's a pictograph of a nasal passage on top of a closed mouth that prevents air from flowing except through the nose. A curl is added to indicate the voice.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "N" (or n) in words like "Natchez", "animal", "train", etc. It's a shifted pictograph of the nasal passage, since, unlike M, the mouth is slightly open while the tongue connects to the upper gum, closing off the glottis so air can only pass through the nose. A curl is added to indicate the voice.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "ng" in words like "sing", "songster", "ringing", etc. It's a pictograph, and a virtual cartoon of the nose, the curl also indicating the voice, which sounds with air that can only pass through the nose while the glottis is closed, even though the mouth is open.

This is the standard symbol for the sound of "K" in words like "kick", "pickup", "attack", etc., but letter C has been eliminated, so all such words are now spelled with a K only.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "G" (or g) in words like "Gainesville", "bagel", "drag", etc. It's an alteration of the standard letter G and g to show its close phonetic relationship with letter K, which means that small g is also eliminated since capital and small letters now look alike except for their size; also no doubles like "haggle" - single letters only.

This is the standard symbol for the sound of "L" (or l), because it approximates the position of the tongue in the mouth, enough so that no change is necessary; but small l, which looks too much like number 1, is now eliminated, and all capital and small letters are alike except for the size.

This is the standard small letter for "R" (or r) because the small letter best approximates the position of the tongue in the mouth, so no other change is necessary. Thus, in this case, the capital letter R is eliminated while small r now becomes both capital and small, size the only difference.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "H" (or h) in words like "Hollywood", "hip-hop", "ahead", etc. It's a pictograph of the side view of the mouth opened to blow out some breath, or like an old fashioned speaker mounted on an old Victrola. So now, like most of the other letters, both capital H and small h are eliminated in favor of just this one symbol for both capitals and smalls, size being the only difference.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "Wh" (or wh) in words "White House", "whale", "overwhelm", etc. It's a pictograph of a narrowed mouth blowing out breath, which was the only real difference between H,h and Wh,wh. Now just one symbol represents the sound of Wh,wh, both capital and small.

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This is the standard symbol for the sound of "T" (or t) because it depicts the tongue touching the top of the gum to make that plosive sound, so no change is necessary, but now both capital and small are alike, except for their size.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "D" (or d) in words like "Denver", "midlife", "braided", etc. It's a standard T with the right side curving down to indicate that voiced plosive sound. It slightly resembles a standard D and also a little bit like an elephant. Again, as always, capital and small letters look alike, except for their size.

This is the standard symbol for the sound of "S" which needs no change because a snake indicates the hissing sound we make when pronouncing this letter (even though very few species of snake actually hiss).

This is the new symbol for the sound of "Z" in words like "Zuni", "azure", "buzz", etc., because the sharpened curl has become the diacritical mark for sounding the voice, and since the sound of Z is merely a voiced S, the upper part of the S is curled inward and the standard Z is replaced by a more logical phonetic letter. If you want to, you can also curl the bottom part of the S, no problem.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "sh" in words like "Shenandoah", "ashes", "crash", etc. It is a combination of S and the new symbol for H, which is attached to the bottom of the S, so you can actually see the new symbol for H together with S in one letter, not two.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "zh" in words like "Zhukhov", "measure", "beige", etc. It's a combination of the sounds of S, Z and H in which the new symbol for H is attached to the bottom of the new symbol for Z, all in one letter, not two.

This is the new symbol for the sound of ch in words like "Chatanooga", "achieve", "match", etc. It's a combination of the sounds of T, S and H in which the top of the S is crossed like a T creating one symbol for all three sounds.

This is the standard symbol for the sound of "J" (or j) because to add yet another curl to the new symbol for ch would be too much complication in a complex letter. Besides, there is a hint of letter D,d in speaking J, and some words are spelled with a d like "ledge". In our phonetic alphabet the sound of "dge" is contained in just one letter - J. So, even though when we speak the sound of J our mouth is in exactly the same position as ch, making J a voiced ch, when spoken, the sounds of T and H disappear, so they must not be symbolized where they aren't actually heard. Thus, J stays the same, looking more like the new symbol for the sound of D than ch. You can place it there in the list if you want.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "th" in words like "Thanksgiving", "ethnic", "bath", etc. It's a pictograph of the tongue caught between the upper and lower teeth to blow out some air and make that modified hissing sound, now represented by only one symbol, not two.

This is the voiced version of the previous letter in words like "then", "other", "bathe", etc. It's the same pictograph of the tongue trapped between teeth, except a curl is added on top to indicate the voice. I made a corner before the curl so it wouldn't get bunched up together in a jumble of curves.

This is the new symbol for the sound of "W" which must have been the most inappropriate letter in the English language, because it actually sounds nothing at all like a double "U" or a double "V", or anything like that. The actual sound is made by pursing the mouth to a tiny o with almost no sound of its own but the letter following it. We purse our mouths to this little o then say ".ashington" (Washington), or we say "tou..." then purse our mouths to a tiny o and say "el" (towel), or we say "cou...", purse our mouths to a little o and say "w" (cow). English spellings are so crazy we have to memorize hundreds of exceptions because the old alphabet was such a mish-mash! No more.

I changed my mind and decided to re-include letter X because it is so efficient and expressive and therefore so convenient in common speech. It symbolizes the sound of "ks" in words like "wax", instead of waks. Some people like to curve the right-leaning slash so it resembles an "s" and part of a "k". Good. So be it.

This is the new symbol for the sound of a "glottal stop", when the throat suddenly closes off the air from the lungs when saying something like "oh-oh!" or giving an angry order: "OUT! I tried to use a dot, but realized that is needed for a period at the end of sentences.

So that's the New English Alphabet. If you use it gently and wisely it could move in the general direction of the final authority on all linguistic disputes - "common speech". When millions of people said "cool" it became a new word and was added to the Dictionary. So, if a lot of people decide to use these letters, things will change, because - the people are the language. Keep on dreaming. John Talbot Ross

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