As a digraph, 'ph' is pronounced everywhere like an 'f', except in 'shepherd.'

What is it about?

A digraph combines two letter of the alphabet (for various reasons in the historical development of a language) to represent one sound in a word (rather than two). An example in English is <ph>. In 2004, a columnist L. M. Boyd wondered if there is any word in English, besides 'shepherd,' that contains a 'ph' not pronounced like an 'f,' attracting battering criticism from Alan S. Kaye in his (2006) ET publication in which he claims that there are indeed many English words with 'ph' not pronounced like an 'f.' In my reaction, I demonstrate that Kaye's critic is baseless and his examples seriously misleading, and I further present arguments in support of Boyd's doubt.

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Why is it important?

The findings reported in the article are important in light of the fact that English words are not always written the way they are spoken, posing a big problem for both native and non-native speakers of English alike. In fact, spellers of English words are reminded of the ever enigmatic presence of digraphs like <ph> and very many others to bear in mind.

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