Many thanks to Gazette columnist J.M. Sorrell for putting us straight about spelling, grammar and word sources [“The official language,” April 2].

In the summer of 1859, a year before his election to the U.S. presidency, Abraham Lincoln received a curious letter in the mail. Addressed to “A. Linkon Esq.” and dated “Ogust 6,” it was written in ...

There’s a reason spelling bees are only common in English-speaking countries: English spelling is absurd. Even the most skilled spellers will admit that English is a mess. In our woeful orthography, ...