Re: Optimum number of symbols

From: "Nik Taylor" <fortytwo@...>
> "Mike S." wrote:
> > Actually, most of the time, these patches are either unphonetic
> > or unproductive as phonetic markers.  I'm not sure what to call
> > the "h" in English diagraphs, but a phonetic marker
>
> Not a very productive one, no, but it does tend to mark similar sounds.
> /s/-/S/, /t/-/T/, not to mention in dialects, /k/-/x/ (c-ch as in
> Scottish _loch_), and things like "zh" are often used in "phonetic"
> spellings for /Z/
It's inaccurate to say that English "h" is "not a very productive"
phonetic marker;  it is not a phonetic marker at all.

It was this statement in particular that led me to the
conclusion, correct or not, that you do not always grasp
the distinction between phones and phonemes.  Insofar
as all my arguments up to this point in time very much hinged
on this careful distinction, I have to say I did experience
a moment of frustration with this post.

None of which excuses the incordial tone of my last post
of course, which reflects poorly on me.  My apologies.

Regards

---   Mike

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