If it is pronounced in the base it doesn’t get replaced!

The only replaceable grapheme in the English writing system is potential single final non-syllabic < e >. I know, you’re thinking, “What!?” Yes, that single < e > at the ends of so many written English words has so many functions it has a title befitting royalty.

Let’s clear up a big misunderstanding some programs are spreading in the literacy world about replacing graphemes.

I have seen some questions coming up lately in social media groups about the structure of some spellings with an <ion > suffix. Apparently some programs out there are misrepresenting the structure of a very common spelling pattern.

< action > is being represented as *< act + tion —> action>. The asterisk is there to let you know this is not accurate. Apparently some programs want to hold on to the misconception that < tion > is a suffix so badly that they are making another false rule to accommodate their misunderstanding. < t > is never replaced, < act + ion —> action >
< fict + ion —> fiction >
< adopt + ion —> adoption >
< e + rupt + ion—> eruption >
< done + ate + ion —> donation >
< loce + ate + ion —> location >
< mote + ive + ate + ion —> motivation >

The < t > is either part of the base or part of the < -ate > suffix in the above examples.

Another misunderstanding they are confusing folks with is the following analysis:

*< vise + sion —> vision >

Again, if it is pronounced in the base it doesn’t get replaced!

The accurate analysis is –

< vise + ion —> vision> and relatives include

< vise + u + al—> visual > and < vise + or—> visor>

For the sake of the struggling readers and spellers out there programs really need to stop making it up as they go along. I can’t imagine putting something like that in a program or curriculum to be purchased and used with children. It is educational malpractice and they should take it off the market immediately before they traumatize dyslexic learners more than they already are.

The single solitary grapheme that is ever replaced is the replaceable < e >. No we don’t have to refer it by it’s full name coined by a group of orthographic enthusiasts, replaceable < e > works just fine. There isn’t anything magic about it, it just happens to have many jobs in the English writing system.

Let’s take a look at a few word sums with replaceable < e >

< face + ing —> facing >

< care + ing —> caring >

< bake + ing —> baking >

*< courage + ous —> couragous> wait what!? That doesn’t work!

This is an example of when we need to keep replaceable < e > to maintain the phonology of < g >. We also see this in < noticeable>

So < e > can be replaced with a suffix that starts with a vowel OR it can be kept to preserve the phonology of < g > or < c >.

Just remember, if it is pronounced in the base it doesn’t get replaced!

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