Not-for-profit · Est. 2025

English was standardized by decree.
It's time to fix that.

The Modern English Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to modernizing the English language — simplifying spelling, updating grammar, and removing rules that serve no one. We believe a language that works better for everyone is not a luxury. It's infrastructure.

Mission

A language designed for the people who use it — not the institutions that inherited it.

English spelling was largely frozen by the printing press and a series of dictionaries in the 1700s. In 250 years, the spoken language has evolved dramatically. The written language has not kept pace.

Compound words still written separately (e.g. "base ball"). Silent letters persist (knight, psychology, mnemonic). Verb conjugations added centuries ago (you were, you werest — wait, which is it again?) sit alongside genuinely useful patterns that remain unmarked.

This isn't about destroying English. It's about finishing the job the reformers of 1768 and 1906 started.

40%
of English words are non-phonetic
~1.5B
English speakers worldwide
8th
most phonetically spelled alphabet

Constitution

Section 1 — Scope

The Foundation operates in the public interest. All outputs — reformed orthography, educational materials, research — are made freely available to the public.

Section 2 — Governance

A Board of Trustees oversees Foundation activities. No person, government, or corporation holds majority control. The Board is elected by verified supporters.

Section 3 — Principles

Reform proposals must demonstrate net benefit to at least 60% of affected users, reduce cognitive load for learners, maintain transparency in the reform process, and preserve existing literary heritage where practical.

Section 4 — Finance

All revenue is applied to Foundation objectives. Annual financial reports are published in full. No executive receives more than twice the median compensation of full-time employees.

Staged Roadmap

Phase 1
2025 — Foundation

Establish governance and build a community of supporters.

Incorporate as a not-for-profit, adopt the Constitution, launch public supporter registry, open draft platform for reform proposals.

Phase 2
2026 — Research

Commission comparative studies and run pilot programs.

Commission orthographic research, run controlled spelling reform pilots in educational settings, measure reading/writing speed improvements, publish findings.

Phase 3
2027 — Standardization

Submit reformed spelling proposals to standards bodies.

Work with the Unicode Consortium and ISO standards bodies to propose updated character sets, submit reformed spelling dictionaries, begin coordinated adoption with major educational publishers.

Phase 4
2028+ — Adoption

Coordinate global adoption and measure impact.

Roll out reformed spelling in partner school districts, measure literacy and employment outcomes, publish longitudinal impact studies, seek formal recognition from global educational bodies.