How can orthography reform influence language change?

• A. Introduces new phonemes that did not exist before.
• B. Standardizes spelling, which can influence pronunciation norms and acceptance of forms.
• C. Eliminates loanwords from the language.
• D. Reduces the need for dictionaries.

Answer: (B)

Orthography reform focuses on the spelling system. When spelling is standardized, a shared set of forms helps people treat certain pronunciations as conventional because they’re tied to established spellings used in education and media. That alignment between written forms and spoken forms makes pronunciation norms more stable and can lead to broader acceptance of particular variants. Over time, the standardized spelling acts as a social cue that guides language use, shaping how words are said and which forms are considered acceptable.

The other ideas aren’t the main mechanism. Introducing new phonemes is a phonological change more than an orthographic one, reforming spelling doesn’t usually remove loanwords, and it doesn’t inherently cut down how often dictionaries are consulted.