This page contains five versions of a story by Bob Boden called "The Late Arrival". The story is shown transcribed in Wijk's Regularized English (WRE), Pete Boardman's MORE (Majic-e Oanly RITE), Bob Boden's SRS (Simplified ReSpell), and Alan Beale's DRE (Diacritically Regularized English). The fifth version is also in DRE, but has been simplified by the removal of diacritics from words where they are unnecessary for the reader familiar with written English. Because DRE is in some ways a blend of WRE and SRS, there are many similarities between the DRE texts and the others.
All of these systems are respelling systems, that is, they
modify existing traditional spelling to make pronunciation of words
more obvious, and to remove some of the obvious defects of the standard
orthography, but they do not make spelling perfectly obvious or
systematic. Because of their resemblance to traditional spelling,
they may be more attractive to "the man in the street" than more
logical or more phonemic systems.
Bob strolld up the
path. He woz late and woz considering hiz alibi. He
lissened to the udher cars in the street, hedding home. The dog,
widh paw raized, greeted him at the dor. Molly cood aulways tell
when he arrived. She woz a faithful creature, and the sensitivity
ov that noze woz not a myth. The house woz quiet. He lookt
down at the vinyl tile. It cood stand sum polish but he wood
rezist the impulse to complain.
He saw hiz faadher in the garden near the fence but didn't bodher to
caul him. He woz obviously preparing to moe the lawn. He
cood see the neighbor's cow in the meddoe and the dense woods
beyond. It seemd a trivial matter but he aulways lookt to see if
thare woz enything on the kitchen table. Hiz wife might write a
note. Thare woz a new novel thare, probably herz. It had a
peculiar symbol on the cuver. The title sed sumthing about
neurons. He didn't knoe whot that woz about but simply didn't
care.
He decided to remoove the label now from the package he woz
carrying. He hoped that Myrtle wood not harras him about the cost
ov the new fur coat he had baught her. He had a fairly good
reply. At least it woz paid for. And the first ov the year
woz aulmoste here and the air woz cold.
He found the paper partly open, over a chair. It had raind in the
morning. The paper offen got wet. He turnd the radio on but
didn't care for the singing.
He red about the cyclone which had aulmoste hit the civic center.
The sky had lookt threttening. He gave a sigh. Thare wood
hav been the devil to pay if the storm had been wurse. The
knolledge made him wince. He thaught, "We ar so helpless in the
face ov bad weadher." He gave sum thaught to solar power, but
clung to hiz uzual rigor, which ment discussing this widh hiz wife
before making a decizion. She expected this consideration.
He had been thinking about emergency power and had an idea. Sum
meazure ov action might be prudent.
Bob stroled up the path. He was late and was considdering his alibie.
He lissend tu the other cars in the street, heding home. The dog, with
paw raisd, greeted him at the door. Molly cuhd allways tel when he
arrived. She was a faithfull creachur and the sensitivity of that noze
was not a mith. The howse was kwiet. He luhkd down at the vinel tile.
It cuhd stand som polish but he wuhd resist the impulse tu complain.
He saw his fahther in the
garden, near the fense, but didn’t bother tu call him. He was obveusly
prepareng tu mo the lawn. He cuhd see the naibors cow in the medo and
the dense wuhds beyond. It seemd a trivyal matter, but he allways luhkd
tu see if thare was anything on the kichen tabel. His wife miet rite a
note. Thare was a new noval thare, probably hers. It had a peculear
simbol on the covver. The titel sed somthing abowt neurons. He didn’t
noe what that was abowt, but simply didn’t care.
He desided tu remuve the
label now from the pakaj he was carrying. He hoped that Myrtle wuhd not
harrass him abowt the cost of the new fur coat he had bawt her. He had
a fairly guhd replie. At least it was paid for. And the first of the
year was allmoast here and the air was coald.
He fownd the paper partly
open, over a chair. It had raind in the morning. The paper offen got
wet. He turnd the radeo on but didn’t care for the singing.
He red abowt the sieclone
which had allmoast hit the sivic senter. The sky had luhkd threttening.
He gave a sie. Thare wuhd hav ben the devil tu pay if the storm had ben
wurse. The nollej made him winse. He thawt, “We ar so helpless in the
fasse of bad wether.” He gave som thawt abowt emerjansy powr, but clung
tu his uisual rigor, which ment discussing this with his wife befor
makeng a desizhon. She expected this considderashen. He had ben
thinking abowt emejansy powr and had an idea. Som mezhur of acshon miet
be prudent.
Bob strólld
up the
path. He wuz láte and wuz considering his alibi. He lisend
tu the uther cars in the street, heding hóme. The dôg,
with paw ráizd, greeted him at the dor. Molly keud
awlwáys tell when he uhríved. She wuz a fáithful
creature, and the sensitivity uv that nóze wuz not a myth. The
house wuz quíet. He leukt down at the vínyl
tíle. It keud stand sum polish but he weud rézist
the impulse tu compláin.
He saw his fahther in the garden nirr the fence but didn't bother tu
cawl him. He wuz obvìusly préperring tu mów the
lawn. He keud see the nábor's cow in the medów and
the dense weuds béyond. It seemed a trivìal matter but he
awlwáys leukt tu see if therr wuz enything on the kitchen
táble. His wífe míght wríte a nóte.
Therr wuz a nu novel therr, probably hers. It had a
pécùlyar symbol on the cuver. The títle sed
sumthing ubout neurons. He didn't knów whut that wuz ubout
but simply didn't kerr.
He décíded tu rémúve the lábel now
frum the packij he wuz kerréing. He hóped that
Myrtle weud not huhrass him ubout the côst uv the nu fur
cót he had bôt her. He had a fairly geud
réplý. At lést it wuz páid for. And
the first uv the yirr wuz awlmóst hirr and the air wuz
cóld.
He found the páper partly ópen, óver a chair. It
had ráind in the morning. The páper ôfen got
wet. He turnd the rádìo on but didn't kerr for the
singing.
He red ubout the cýclóne which had awlmóst hit the
civic center. The sky had leukt thretning. He gáve a
sígh. Therr weud hav bin the devil tu páy if the storm
had bin wurse. The knolej máde him wince. He thôt,
"We ar so helpless in the fáce uv bad wether". He
gáve sum thôt tu sólar power, but clung tu his
ùzhúal rigor, which ment discussing this with his
wífe béfor máking a décizhun. She
expected this considerátion. He had bin thinking ubout
émerjency power and had an ídéa. Sum mezhur uv
action míght be prúdent.
Bob strólled up
the path. Hé wôz láte and wôz
considering hiz alibí. Hé lissened tu the
ôther càrs in the street, hedding hóme. The
dòg, with paw raized, greeted him at the dòr. Molly
coûd aulways tell when hé aríved. Shé
wôz a faithful creatjur, and the sensitivity ov that
nóze wôz not a myth. The house wôz quiët.
Hé looked down at the vínyl tíle. It
coûd stand sôm polish but hé woûd rezist the
impulse tu complain.
Hé saw hiz fàther in the gàrden near the fence but
didn't bother tu caull him. Hé wôz
obvìôusly prepâring tu mów the
lawn. Hé coûd see the neybor's cow in the
meddów and the dense woods béyond. It seemed a
trivìal matter but hé aulways looked tu see if
thâre wôz ânything on the kitchen táble.
Hiz wífe míet wríte a nóte.
Thâre wôz a néw novel thâre, probably
hers. It had a pecúlyar symbol on the côver.
The títle sed sômthing about néurons.
Hé didn't knów whôt that wôz about but simply
didn't câre.
Hé decíded tu remùve the lábel now
frôm the packaj hé wôz carrying. Hé
hóped that Mirtle woûd not harass him about the
còst ov the néw fur coat hé had bawt
her. Hé had a fairly good replý. At least it
wôz paid fòr. And the first ov the year
wôz aulmóst hêre and the air wôz cóld.
Hé found the páper pàrtly ópen, óver
a chair. It had rained in the mòrning. The
páper òffen got wet. Hé turned the
rádìó on but didn't câre fòr the
singing.
He redd about the cýclóne which had aulmóst hit
the civic center. The ský had looked threttening.
Hé gáve a síe. Thâre woûd hav
bên the devil tu pay if the stòrm had bên
wôrse. The knolledj máde him wince. Hé
thawt, "Wé àr só helplêss in the fáce
ov bad wether". Hé gáve sôm thawt tu
sólar power, but clung tu hiz
úzjùal rigor, which ment discussing this with hiz
wífe befòre máking a decizion. Shé
expected this considerátion. Hé had bên
thinking about emerjency power and had an ídéa.
Sôm mezjur ov action míet bé prùdent.
Bob
strólled up
the path. He woz late and woz considering hiz alibí.
He lissened tu the ôther càrs in the street, hedding
home. The dòg, with paw raized, greeted him at the
dòr. Molly coûd aulways tell when he
arived. She woz a faithful creatjur, and the sensitivity
ov that noze woz not a myth. The house woz quiët. He
looked down at the vínyl tile. It coûd stand som
polish but he woûd rezist the impulse tu complain.
He saw hiz fàther in the gàrden near the fence but didn't
bother tu caull him. He woz obvìously
prepâring tu mów the lawn. He coûd see the
neybor's cow in the meddów and the dense woods
béyond. It seemed a trivìal matter but he aulways
looked tu see if thâre woz ânything on the kitchen
táble. Hiz wife míet write a note.
Thâre woz a
néw novel thâre, probably hers. It had a
pecúlyar symbol on the côver. The títle sed
somthing about néurons. He didn't knów whot that
woz about but simply didn't câre.
He decided tu remuve the lábel now from the packaj he woz
carrying. He hoped that Mirtle woûd not harass him about
the còst ov the néw fur coat he had bawt her. He
had a fairly good replý. At least it woz paid for.
And the first ov the year woz aulmóst hêre and the air woz
cóld.
He found the páper pàrtly ópen, óver a
chair. It had rained in the mòrning. The
páper
òffen got wet. He turned the rádìó on
but didn't câre for the singing.
He redd about the cýclone which had aulmóst hit the civic
center. The ský had looked threttening. He gave a
síe. Thâre woûd hav bên the devil tu pay
if the stòrm had bên wôrse. The knolledj made
him wince. He thawt, "We ar so helpless in the face ov bad
wether". He gave som thawt tu sólar power, but clung tu
hiz úzjùal rigor, which ment discussing this with hiz
wife before making a decizion. She expected this
consideration. He had bên thinking about emerjency
power and had an ídéa. Som mezjur ov action
míet be
prùdent.
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