Chicago Tribune's Doomed Efforts to Fix Spelling.

In 1934, Robert McCormick, the arch-conservative (strongly adhered to traditional values) owner of the Chicago Tribune, began one of the most progressive experiments in U.S. newspaper history. He instituted a “Sane Spelling” program—words in the Tribune now had to be spelled how they were pronounced.

McCormick hoped to set an example. With “ou” pronounced differently in harsh, cough, though, through, and bough, English clearly has a spelling problem. Sure, only about a quarter of English words are spelled senselessly—but they tend to be among the words most used.

Change rarely goes over quickly, though. For instance, other people—Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt—had previously advocated for similar spelling programs and been thwarted. That helps explain why McCormick took it slow, introducing a small collection of newly spelled words about every month. 

Among the first newly spelled words were agast, burocracy, crum, jocky, and missil. Soon came rime, jaz, and harth. By the following year, there were more than a hundred words.

Chicago Tribune, May 06, 1934

In one issue from April 1934, you could read of a “staf ready to oppose any delay” and a story about Roosevelt “iland.” A 1938 headline exclaimed: “ROOKIE GOALIE SCORES 6TH HOCKY SHUTOUT.” Public response was “for the most part favorable,” including a letter from Benjamin Affleck, who wished the paper would go further.

In the end, “Sane Spelling” never quite caught on. By 1939, the list was trimmed to 40 words, and overall observance was never that thorough, to begin with: Reports of Pearl Harbor described an attack on an “island.”

What an atrocious idea. It appears to attack learning institutions beginning in kindergarten.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.