Phonographics

Phonographics   
Phonographics

Phonographics is an alternative way to write/read English invented by Heron
Stone. The symbols are called “grafs”, and the sounds are called “fonz”.
Phonographics designates 29 basic fonz and corresponding grafs to represens
the sounds of spoken English. There are two different symbol sets in Phonographics:
fono.1 and fono.2. fono.1 is an altered version of the standard alphabet;
fono.2 is an entirely new symbol set in which groups of similar sounds
are represented by groups of similar symbols.

One major difference between Phonographics and the alphabet is that
Phonographics is not written in “words”. We    do    not
   speak    in    disconnected
 words. Werunallourwordstogetherwhenwespeak. Phonographics is written
in “utterances”, following the natural rhythms of speech.

An example on writing in fono.1

Why Phonographics? Our nervous systems make and use models of the world.
A writing system is a visual model of the sounds we make when talking.
The old alphabet is a disaster. It’s been said to be less than 20% phonetic.
No wonder many people have so much trouble learning to spell/read. Further,
there is evidence to suggest that imposing such an irrational/disordered
system on a sensitive, young human brain/mind could result in permanent
physiological damage. Phonographics is a coherent, efficient and even
playful alternative to the present chaos.

Reading Phonographics is actually an altered state of consciousness…
hearing with your eyes.

Among other things, Phonographics (in the form of fono.1) has been
used to teach listening/speaking skills to students of English as a
second language and as a sort of “training” alphabet to teach reading
to children and other first-time readers.

Phonographics is a compromise between accuracy and simplicity, falling
heavily towards simplicity. Heron made this compromise, in part, because
he teaches listening/speaking skills to adult Asian immigrants and wanted
a tool he could use in the classroom. He’s quite pleased to report that
it has been very successful and popular with his students.

Phonographics was not created under any illusions as to the likelihood
of its being adopted by the general population. He is aware of the shortcomings
of a fonedik raydyng sisdm. Phonographics is merely an attempt to devise an
optimal system for purely aesthetic purposes… to satisfy his own desire
for a better system. He says that it was great fun and very satisfying to
have been able to accomplish it. If it catches on… great. If not… so be it.

The Phonographics alphabets

Phonographics alphabets

Phonographics sounds

Sample text in the Phonographics alphabets

Sample text in the Phonographics alphabets

A PDF containing more sample texts in available here (261K)

  • Post category:Languages
  • Reading time:3 mins read