Books to read
Between the two books you currently have, I would definitely read English Words: History and Structure first.
Read these two in this order
1. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ English Words: History and Structure (Stockwell & Minkova)
Read first.
Why?
- Explains why English words are spelled the way they are.
- Covers Latin, Greek, French, Germanic origins.
- Explains historical sound changes.
- Gives you the foundation for understanding spelling rules instead of memorizing them.
It will answer questions like:
- Why is c soft before e, i, y?
- Why is g sometimes /dʒ/?
- Why are there silent letters?
- Why do English words have multiple pronunciations?
- Why does spelling preserve morphology?
Since you're studying phonetics and building a structured English course, this is exactly the kind of knowledge that compounds over time.
2. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Understanding and Teaching English Spelling (Adam Brown)
Read second.
This book is more practical.
It focuses on:
- teaching spelling
- common spelling rules
- helping ESL learners
- classroom strategies
It won't explain the history as deeply, but after reading Stockwell & Minkova, you'll understand why the rules exist, making Brown's explanations much more meaningful.
My recommended reading roadmap
I've adjusted this slightly based on your current goals of mastering English pronunciation, spelling, and teaching.
| Stage | Book | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ 1 | English Phonetics and Phonology – Philip Carr | Learn the English sound system. |
| ✅ 2 | English Words: History and Structure – Stockwell & Minkova | Learn why English spelling and pronunciation developed as they did. |
| ✅ 3 | Understanding and Teaching English Spelling – Adam Brown | Learn practical spelling rules and how to teach them. |
| 4 | The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language – David Crystal | Broad overview of English language, history, dialects, grammar, spelling, pronunciation, writing systems, and vocabulary. |
| 5 | The Stories of English – David Crystal | A chronological history of how English evolved. |
| 6 | A History of the English Language – Baugh & Cable | University-level historical linguistics. |
| 7 | The Oxford History of English | Advanced reference work on the language's development. |
If your goal is to become an exceptional English teacher
I would eventually expand the roadmap into four complementary domains:
1. Sounds (Phonetics & Phonology)
- Philip Carr
- Peter Roach
- John Wells
2. Words & Spelling (Orthography, Morphology, Etymology)
- Stockwell & Minkova
- Adam Brown
- David Crystal
3. Grammar
- New Oxford English Grammar
- Huddleston & Pullum's The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (advanced reference)
4. Language Teaching
- Michael Swan
- Jeremy Harmer
- Scott Thornbury
My recommendation for your current stage
Given what you've been studying over the past few weeks, I would not switch away from Philip Carr yet. Instead, interleave your reading:
- 80% of your study time: Philip Carr (complete it first).
- 20% of your study time: English Words: History and Structure (read a chapter every few days).
This approach lets you connect what you're learning about sounds (e.g., /k/, /s/, palatalization, syllables) with why English spellings encode those sounds the way they do, reinforcing both subjects simultaneously rather than treating them as separate.