English is a very irregular language filled with many strange spelling and pronunciation rules. To highlight this, we thought we republish a poem (that’s been in the public domain for a number of years) illustrating this.

It’s called “Owed to a Spelling Chequer” and has many variations – we liked this one...

I have a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye cannot sea

When eye strike a quay to right a word
I weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait away

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two late
And eye can put the error rite
Its rarely, rarely grate

I’ve run this poem threw it
I’m shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it’s weigh
My Chequer tolled me sew!

(Sauce unknown).