Well, as an English English speaker I can't say I'm a great enthusiast about English spelling.
I think it's ridiculous, but because of my training I tend to spell correctly (all that convent education!).
Found this poem about spelling and pronunciation, you might like:
When in English class we speak
Why is break not rhymed with freak?
Will you tell me why it's true
That we say sew, but also few?
When a poet writes a verse
Why is horse not rhymed with worse?
Beard sounds not the same as heard
Lord sounds not the same as word
Cow is cow, but low is low
Shoe is never rhymed with toe.
Think of nose and dose and lose
Think of goose, but then of choose.
Confuse not comb with tomb or bomb,
Doll with roll, or home with some.
We have blood and food and good.
Mould is not pronounced like could.
There's pay and say, but paid and said.
"I will read", but "I have read".
Why say done, but gone and lone -
Is there any reason known?
To summarise, it seems to me
Sounds and letters disagree.
Liz
Thanks to Kymmie.
).