KL: Spelling

Let me start out by saying that I am a victim of Whole Language with respect to spelling. This has plagued me my entire life and will continue to plague me for the rest of my life. The first elementary school I went to did not believe in teaching Phonics. They believed it would ruin my self esteem. Instead, I was taught to spell words how they sounded to me.

Unfortunately, the English language does not operate according to my spelling rules.

This blog would have an insane amount of spelling errors if not for the fact that each post is edited and revised many times by several key people who can actually spell.

I know I cannot spell. Everyone around me knows I cannot spell. My high school english teacher confided in my father that I was a lost cause for spelling and that my father, the English major, should just give up. I still think my father holds out hope that one day… maybe… possibly… perhaps I can learn how to spell. This is unlikely and am perfectly content relying on spell check and others to find my mistakes.

But then I lived in Malaysia.

THEY SPELL WORDS LIKE I WOULD SPELL WORDS

Bas vs. Bus / Sekolah vs. School

Time to catch the sekolah bas to learn about spelling!

Polis vs. Police

I never understood the whole “ce” thing.

Notis vs. Notice

If you are going to pronounce something like an “s,” shouldn’t you use an “s”?

Tiket vs. Ticket / Kaunter vs. Counter

Perhaps it’s just the letter “c” that I am not a fan of.

Teksi vs Taxi

And what is the deal with the letter x?

Ekspres vs. Express

The letter “k” is klearly sufficient.

Eksekutif vs. Executive

Do I need more proof?

Telefon vs. Telephone

Also, if it sounds like an “f,” you should use an “f.”

Farmasi vs. Pharmacy

It just makes so much sense.

I have finally found a country that spells things logically. This makes me happy.

PS- For more fun Malaysian adventures, check out my post on elevators!