Modern English spelling developed from about 1350 onwards, when—after three centuries of Norman French rule—English gradually became the official language of England again, although very different from before 1066, having incorporated many words of French origin (battle, beef, button, etc.).

Why was spelling invented?

In 1975, linguist Charles Read conducted a study of preschoolers who were beginning to relate letter names to the sounds of the alphabet. He discovered that students commonly "invented" spellings for words in their daily vocabulary by rearranging letters to fit their perception of the rules of the English language.

Is invented spelling bad?

Inventive spelling is a great help to early readers and writers, and, as their teacher says, it is important to resist the urge to correct their spelling. It is generally appropriate for children's spelling to be predominantly phonetic in kindergarten and early first grade.