English Is the Least Phonics Friendly Language

English is dramatically more difficult to learn than nearly every other language. With 44 different phonemes and 1,200 different spellings it is no wonder a third of Americans struggle with reading!

Italian and Spanish, on the other hand, have 25 and 28 different phonemes. They only have 29 or 32 different spellings! Compared to these other major languages, English is nearly 50 times more complex. It is amazing we learn to read at all.

With that amount of complexity, students who are struggling with reading can easily be overwhelmed by phonics instruction as they try to memorize all 1,200 spellings and the exceptions to the rules. Struggling readers need to start one step before phonics, learning these different sounds organically instead of by route memorization. The complex nature of the English language makes it the least phonics friendly language.