orthography
gb/ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/ us/ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/
C1
English
helyesírás, ortográfia, írásmód
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
1
helyesírás
B1
ortográfia
C1
Usage pattern:
[language] orthography; the orthography of [a language]
English orthography preserves many historical spellings that no longer match pronunciation.
Az angol helyesírás sok olyan történeti írásmódot őriz, amely már nem felel meg a kiejtésnek.
The new alphabet was designed to create a consistent orthography for the language.
Az új ábécét azért tervezték, hogy egységes helyesírást hozzanak létre a nyelv számára.
Students often find French orthography difficult at first.
Learner examples
English orthography is not simple.
Az angol helyesírás nem egyszerű.
The language has a new orthography.
A nyelvnek új helyesírása van.
Common mistake:
Orthography usually means spelling and writing conventions, not a person's handwriting style.
Meaning
A language's spelling system
Collocations
English orthography
|standard orthography
|traditional orthography
|modern orthography
|phonemic orthography
|writing system
|spelling conventions
|orthographic rules
|consistent orthography
|reformed orthography
Synonyms
spelling system (plainer and more common in everyday English)
|
spelling conventions (emphasizes accepted rules and practices)
|
writing system (broader; can include the script itself as well as spelling rules)
Themes
linguistics
|writing
|education
Definition
the standard way a language is written and spelled
The conventional system for writing a language, especially its spelling rules and the ways letters or symbols represent sounds and words.
NOUN
C2
FORMAL
2
írásmód
B1
helyesírás
B1
Usage pattern:
the orthography of [a text/period]; preserve/modernize [the] orthography
The editor kept the original orthography but added modern punctuation.
A szerkesztő megtartotta az eredeti írásmódot, de modern központozást adott hozzá.
Medieval manuscripts often show several orthographies for the same name.
A középkori kéziratokban ugyanannak a névnek gyakran többféle írásmódja is előfordul.
Quotations from the diary are printed with the author's orthography unchanged.
Learner examples
The old poem uses old orthography.
A régi vers régi írásmódot használ.
The editor did not change the writer's orthography.
A szerkesztő nem változtatta meg az író helyesírását.
Common mistake:
Use handwriting for the way letters are physically formed; orthography is about spelling forms and rules.
Meaning
Spelling used in a text
Collocations
original orthography
|modernized orthography
|archaic orthography
|historical orthography
|variant orthography
|nonstandard orthography
|preserve the orthography
|modernize the orthography
Synonyms
spelling (more common and general)
|
spelling forms (emphasizes individual written forms of words)
|
written form (can refer to one word or name rather than a whole system)
Themes
writing
|editing
|history
|literature
Definition
the way words are spelled in a particular text or at a particular time
The particular spellings used in a text, name, period, or writer's work, especially when they differ from modern or standard spellings.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
3
ortográfia
C1
Usage pattern:
orthography and [phonology/reading]; research in orthography
Her research connects orthography with how children learn to read.
Kutatása az ortográfiát a gyermekek olvasástanulásával kapcsolja össze.
The course covers phonetics, morphology, and orthography.
A kurzus a fonetikát, a morfológiát és az ortográfiát tárgyalja.
In linguistics, orthography is often studied alongside phonology.
Learner examples
They studied orthography at university.
Az egyetemen ortográfiát tanultak.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse orthography with typography, which is about the design and arrangement of printed text.
Meaning
Study of spelling systems
Collocations
comparative orthography
|historical orthography
|orthography and phonology
|orthography and pronunciation
|research in orthography
|orthography instruction
|orthographic processing
Synonyms
graphemics (more technical and specifically about written symbols)
|
spelling studies (plainer but less established as a formal term)
Themes
linguistics
|writing
|education
|reading
Definition
the study of how languages are spelled and written
The linguistic study or description of spelling systems and of how written symbols relate to spoken language.
Grammar
Dictionary form
orthography
IPA
GB/ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/
US/ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/
Syllables & stress
or - tho - graphy (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tho)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: orthography
- Plural: orthographies, orthography
Expressions
deep orthography
1/dˈip ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/
fixed phrase
technical
Opaque spelling system
a spelling system where pronunciation is often hard to predict from spelling
Examples
- English is often described as a deep orthography.
- Readers of a deep orthography may rely more on whole-word recognition and morphological clues.
- A deep orthography can be challenging for children learning to read.
Learner examples
- English has a deep orthography.
phonemic orthography
1/fənˈimɪk ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/
fixed phrase
technical
Sound-based spelling system
a spelling system where letters closely match the sounds of the language
Examples
- The linguists proposed a phonemic orthography so new readers could sound out words consistently.
- No large living language has a perfectly phonemic orthography, but some are much closer than others.
- A phonemic orthography can make early reading instruction easier.
Learner examples
- In a phonemic orthography, spelling and pronunciation match closely.
shallow orthography
1/ʃˈæloʊ ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/
fixed phrase
technical
Transparent spelling system
a spelling system where pronunciation is usually easy to predict from spelling
Examples
- Spanish has a relatively shallow orthography.
- Children learning to read a shallow orthography can often decode new words quickly.
- In a shallow orthography, spelling changes tend to reflect pronunciation more directly.
Learner examples
- Spanish has a fairly shallow orthography.
standard orthography
1/stˈændɚd ɔɹθˈɑɡɹəfi/
fixed phrase
technical
Accepted spelling system
the spelling system that is accepted as the normal or official one
Examples
- The ministry approved a standard orthography for school textbooks.
- Many speakers use dialect spellings online, even though a standard orthography exists.
- The dictionary follows the standard orthography used in government publications.
Learner examples
- The dictionary uses the standard orthography.