>Written English and spoken English rarely corresponds in any way that makes sense. The easiest example is that you can't tell if "read" is past or present tens

>Written English and spoken English rarely corresponds in any way that makes sense. The easiest example is that you can't tell if "read" is past or present tense, because -ea- has two entirely different pronunciations that are used arbitrarily That's a good example, but since regardless of tense, both pronunciations have the same essential meaning (to consume/have consumed written material), it's not hard to pick up the meaning from context. Incorrect usage can be much more problematic. The lose <--> loose issue is a really egregious example. Lose (luz) is to "not win" or to "no longer have something", while loose (lew-se) can be "not tight" or "freed from some constraint."[0] I imagine that sort of incorrect usage confuses non-native English users more than differences in pronunciation. [0] Definitions and pronunciation are inexact, but close enough IMHO.