What is ghoti?
Q: What is ghoti?
A: Ghoti is an artificial word used to illustrate irregularities in English spelling. It is a respelling of the word fish.
Q: How is ghoti pronounced?
A: Ghoti is supposed to be pronounced /ˈfɪʃ/. However, it is likely to be spontaneously pronounced [goʊtaɪ] or [gəʊtaɪ] (like "go" + "tie"), or [goʊti] ("go" + "tea").
Q: What phonemes is ghoti made up of?
A: Ghoti is made up of the phonemes gh, pronounced /f/ as in tough /tʌf/; o, pronounced /ɪ/ as in women /ˈwɪmɪn/; and ti, pronounced /ʃ/ as in nation /ˈneɪʃən/.
Q: Can ghoti be a silent word?
A: Yes, ghoti can be a silent word. In this case, gh is pronounced as in though, o is pronounced as in people, t is pronounced as in ballet or mortgage, and i is pronounced as in business or plaid.
Q: Why is ghoti unlikely to be pronounced like "fish"?
A: Ghoti is unlikely to be pronounced like "fish" because gh is never pronounced [f] (cf. "ghost") at the beginning of a word and neither ti is pronounced [ʃ] at the end of a word.
Q: What is orthography?
A: Orthography is the study of spelling and the way in which letters are used to represent sounds and form words in a language.
Q: What does ghoti illustrate?
A: Ghoti illustrates irregularities in English spelling.
