Highly Irregular: Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme-And Other Oddities of the English Language

English is a weird language. Highly Irregular, by Arika Okrent, explains the origins and influences of English, including its absurd spelling rules, expressions, and homework. It is a must-read for anyone who has wondered about the language's mysteries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 11 November 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Whether you have been speaking English all your life or have learned it later on, you must have noticed that there are some things about this language that are just weird. Perhaps you are reading a book and stop to puzzle over absurd spelling rules (Why are there so many ways to say -gh?). Or you hear someone talking and get stuck on an expression (Why do we say How dare you but not How try you?). Or your kid quizzes you on homework (Why is it eleven and twelve instead of oneteen and twoteen?). Suddenly, you ask yourself, Wait, why do we do it this way? You think about it, try to explain it, and keep running into walls. It doesn't conform to logic. It doesn't work the way you'd expect it to. There doesn't seem to be any rule at all. There might not be a logical explanation, but there will be an explanation, and this book is here to help.

In Highly Irregular, Arika Okrent answers these questions and many more. Along the way, she tells the story of the many influences--from invading French armies to stubborn Flemish printers--that made our language the way it is today. Both an entertaining send-up of linguistic oddities and a deeply researched history of English, Highly Irregular is essential reading for anyone who has paused to wonder about our marvelous mess of a language.

Weight: 414g
Dimension: 155 x 218 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197539408