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This Article in question.

Do Australians still use the Spelling Reform 1 (SR1) officially or unofficially?

It calls for the short /ɛ/ sound (as in bet) to always be spelt with E.

said→sed, jeopardy→jepardy, bury→bery, etc.

Thursagen
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Andrew
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    "Still use"? Realistically, did they ever? – FumbleFingers Jul 07 '11 at 14:32
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    Agreed, the Wikipedia article is questionable. I've lived in Australia for 32 years and never seen SR1 in use. – Rob Keniger Jul 07 '11 at 14:35
  • SR1 was 'championed' by the Australian Teachers' Federation, which, depending on your viewpoint either became defunct or was merged into the Australian Teachers Union in 1991. Back in 1975 it did ask the government to endorse small-scale trials of SR1, but I doubt anything like that ever actually took place. – FumbleFingers Jul 07 '11 at 14:39
  • Uh, bury doesn't have a short e sound. – Marthaª Jul 07 '11 at 14:40
  • @FumbleFingers So they didn't teach it in school? – Andrew Jul 07 '11 at 14:41
  • @Andrew: I can't say for certain, but be realistic - how do you think the parents of any chosen 'trial' school would feel? It just wouldn't get off the ground, I feel. – FumbleFingers Jul 07 '11 at 14:43
  • Voting to close on the grounds there's nothing much to say about this in an EL&U context. – FumbleFingers Jul 07 '11 at 14:45
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    The trouble with spelling that follows pronunciation is that pronunciation varies from place to place. – GEdgar Jul 07 '11 at 15:50
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    @Joe Blow: if you vandalize it someone will change it back. If you make good edits they will stay. I made a lot and they were never reversed. Anyway, staying on-topic, I don't see any evidence whatsoever on that page that says Australians use the SR1 spelling reform. It just says that SR1 had some success in Australia and quotes a 25 year old book... – nico Jul 07 '11 at 20:29
  • By the way, just to let all folks know, I have edited the Wikipedia page so that it is in keeping with the Australian Trade Unions Archives. Cheers – Thursagen Jul 08 '11 at 03:31
  • Having read the Wikipedia article after spending 45 years as an Australian and not recalling ever hearing of SR1 before today, I can say I've never seen such a "general interest paperback" - and I spend a lot of time in seconhand bookshops. The one thing that did ring true was the spelling *thru* which was common enough to annoy me when I was growing up in the '70s and '80s. I recall noting on a trip to the US at the time that it was less common over there even though I and others had disliked it for being "too American". – hippietrail Dec 28 '13 at 03:03

2 Answers2

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I live in Australia and I should know. No, it was never in wide usage, because I have lived here quite some time, and I have never seen it.

This simple spelling reform has been adopted widely by Australians.

Really? I think it's because Wikipedia can be edited simply just by anyone, not too much credence should be placed on some of its articles. Personally, "adopted widely" is a "figment of imagination" to me, and I have never seen it, unless it was by someone illiterate.

The Australian Teachers' Federation might have adopted this policy, but you can see by this link that they ceased to exist in 1987.

So, I hope that answers your question.

Kit Z. Fox
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Thursagen
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  • As I said in the other comment, that is a quote from a 1985 book... – nico Jul 07 '11 at 19:48
  • By the way, just to let all folks know, I have edited the Wikipedia page so that it is in keeping with the Australian Trade Unions Archives. Cheers! – Thursagen Jul 08 '11 at 03:31
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Mate, the article is simply rubbish.

Note that the first paragraph of the article contains the sentence:

It had some success in Australia...

It's simply wrong, and silly. Ask any Aussie. As Ham already pointed out, the next sentence is also at best misleading.

Kit Z. Fox
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Fattie
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