How to "Prove" That the Fictitious Word "Ghoti" Can Linguistically Be Pronounced as "Fish"

Most children learn at a young age that spelling words in the English language can be tricky. As such, spelling bees are a popular event among students at local, state, and national levels. This is not at all the case with many other languages in which words are spelled exactly the way that they sound.

A special example was created in the late 1800s which illustrates how much the English language could benefit from a movement to reform spelling to make it consistent. This article shows you the simple steps to linguistically prove to someone that the example's made-up word "ghoti" can be pronounced as "fish," just by following legitimate English pronunciation rules.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 

   The first step is to find someone who is not likely to be familiar with this linguistic tidbit, but who might be interested in it. It's especially good to show to children, but don't show it to anyone who isn't confident about their spelling or language skills, as they may feel put on the spot.

2. 

   Start by telling asking the person how they would pronounce G-H-O-T-I. Spell it out like that. They will likely pronounce it as they would the facial hair style "goatee." Say to the person, "What if I told you that you could actually pronounce it as 'fish' just by following simple, common rules of English pronunciation?"
   
   The person will either show continued interest and ask you to show them how, or they will think that you're crazy, or they will attempt to rapidly change the subject or walk away. Unless the latter occurs, proceed to the next step.

3. 

   Begin by showing that it could be argued that "gh" can be pronounced with an "f" sound. Most young children know that the word "tough" is pronounced "tuf." The "gh" is pronounced like "f," without any "g" or "h" sounds involved. As such, one could extend that logic to the word "ghoti," pronouncing the first two letters with an "f" sound.

4. 

   Next, justify that the "o" in "ghoti" can be pronounced in the same way that we pronounce the "i" in the word "bit." Think about how we pronounce the word "women." We don't say "woh-men." We pronounce the "o" like the "i" in bit, or of course the "i" in fish." Therefore, we can say that the "o" in "ghoti" should be pronounced similarly.

5. 

   Finally, recall any of the many words in English in which the letter combination "ti" is pronounced with a "sh" sound. A simple example is "nation." Extend that logic to the word "ghoti," to pronounce the "ti" as the "sh" in "fish."

6. 

   Most people find this exercise quite interesting if they haven't heard of it before. Some people are in favor of modifying English spelling such that words are spelled exactly as they sound, with no ambiguity or special rules or exceptions.
   
   To accomplish this, a few extra symbols would have to be added to the English language, and indeed models of new, phonetic alphabets have already been developed. The idea will likely never catch on, though, since it would require support on a global scale. Until then, just make sure that your "ghoti" is neatly trimmed, and that your "fish" have a clean tank in which to swim. ☺

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[ryuushade]

on 9/22/2009 I love this. my sociology teacher taught me this a couple ears ago, and gave me a good laugh. English really is an odd language. Though I pronounce women with more of an e sound than an i sound.