New Franklin Alphabet (Nju Fraŋklin Alfybet)

The New Franklin Alphabet (NFA) was invented by Haley Wakamatsu as an alternative way to write English, specifically General American English, and is based on Benjamin Franklin's Phonetic Alphabet (FPA). Its design goals were to remove the letters unsupported by Unicode, regularize and more clearly define the vowels, and restore uppercase letters.

Notable features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines
Used to write: General American English

New Franklin Alphabet alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for New Franklin Alphabet (Excel)

Notes

The letters in parentheses are acceptable alternative forms.
d word-finally after a voiceless consonant is /t/ (e.g. sagged → sagd; sacked → sakd). If the past tense verb ends in /əd/, spell it out as id.
Lax/short vowels (vowels that cannot occur without a coda, except in rare exceptions such as interjections) are mapped to single letters; tense/long vowels (those that can) are mapped to double letters.

Sample text (Letter to Benjamin Franklin )

Kenziŋtyn, 26 Septembyr, 1768.
Diir Syyr,
Ai hav transkraibd juur alfybet, &c., hwitc ai þiŋk mait bii ơv syyrviss tuu ðooz huu wic tuu ykwaiyr an akjyrit prynưnsieecyn, if ðat kud bii fiksd; bưt ai sii meni inkynsistensis, az wel az difikyltis, ðat wud ytend ði briŋiŋ juur letyrz and orþơgryfi intuu kơmyn juuss. Ơơl aur etimơlydʒis wud bii lơst, kơnsikwentli wii kud nơt asyrteen ði miiniŋ ơv meni wyyrds; ði distiŋkcyn, tuu, bitwiin wyrds ơv difyrynt miiniŋ and similyr saund wud bii juuslys, ưnles wii liviŋ raityrs pưblic njuu idicyns. In cort ai biliiv wii mưst let piipyl spel ơn in ðeer oold wee, and (az wii faind it iiziyst) duu ði seem auyrselvs.
With ease and with sincerity I can, in the old way, subscribe myself,
Dear Sir,
Your faithful and affectionate servant,
M. S.

Transcription

Kensington, 26 September, 1768.
Dear Sir,
I have transcribed your alphabet, &c., which I think might be of service to those who wish to acquir an accurate pronunciation, if that could be fixed; but I see many inconsistencies, as well as difficulties, that would attend the bringing your letters and orthography into common use. All our etymologies would be lost, consequently we could not ascertain the meaning of many words; the distinction, too, between words of different meaning and similar sound would be useless, unless we living writers publish new editions. In short I believe we must let people spell on in their old way, and (as we find it easiest) do the same ourselves.

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