Spelling Reform 1

Spelling Reform 1 (commonly known as SR1) is an Australian spelling reform that was proposed by British-Australian engineer, linguist and amateur mathematician Harry Lindgren in 1969. It was developed as the first step in a planned, gradual approach to making English spelling more phonetic.

SR1's single rule is that the short e vowel sound (/ɛ/, as in bet) should be spelt only with an e. Under the reform, words such as friend and head would become frend and hed. Lindgren stated that limiting each reform to one small, simple and easily understood rule would allow English orthography to be adjusted incrementally over a couple of generations.

The reform attracted notable attention in Australia during the 1970s, being voluntarily adopted by a number of writers, educators and publications, and considered by teachers' organisations and educational authorities. SR1 also faced criticism from linguists, educators and members of the public, who objected to its practical, etymological and aesthetic implications. Despite the interest and debate it generated, SR1 was never officially implemented in schools and gradually fell out of use, with spelling reform organisations later moving on from the proposal.