List of language reforms of English
For centuries, many people have called for language reforms of English, which vary in approach from the radical (completely overhauling existing conventions) to the conservative (preserving most while removing irregularities).
Phonetic alphabets limited to English do not belong here. See Category:Phonetic alphabets.
Spelling reforms
Spelling reforms are attempts to regularize English spelling either by reducing the number of irregularities or by making it completely phonemic. This may be done using the existing basic English alphabet (basic), by extending it (extended) or by replacing it entirely (replaced). Such historical proposals include:
Subsets
Subsets are reforms that use a restricted wordlist and grammar. English subsets include:
- Attempto Controlled English
- Aviation English
- Basic English
- ClearTalk
- Common Logic Controlled English
- E-Prime
- Gellish Formal English
- Globish
- Learning English
- Logical English
- ModeLang
- Newspeak (fictional)
- Plain English
- Processable English (PENG)
- Seaspeak
- SBVR Structured English
- Simplified Technical English
- Specialized English
Vocabulary reforms
Vocabulary reforms seek to reform English by changing or restricting its words without changing its grammar.
- Anglish: the use of native (Germanic) words only, and spellings of such without foreign influence—a form of linguistic purism