How do you spell GHOTI?

One of the most well-known spelling games in English involves the word GHOTI, pronounced "fish." It's supposed to have come from GH as in enough (where gh sounds like f), O as in women (o sounds like i), and TI as in action (ti like sh). So you get the sound fish from GHOTI.

Anyhow, spelling is tough in English, and one of the biggest reasons is that the language is anything but pure. English is influenced by many languages. Can you think of some words from your first language that have made it into the English vocabulary?

One of several great online courses for free is the edX course Principles of Written English from UC Berkeley, and they have a page there on spelling with the following tips:

Learning to spell correctly does not have to be boring. There are several ways to practice spelling without just memorizing word lists or rules.
1. Play word games--Scrabble, Words with Friends, Hangman, etc. There are a lot of word games to keep you entertained while spelling words. This website also has some online games: http://www.spellingcity.com/spelling-games-vocabulary-games.html.
2. Dictation: In dictation, you listen to spoken text and write what you hear. Then, check your text against what was actually said. Dictations can be difficult, but they are very effective ways to create a connection between the written form of the word and the spoken word.
Try a practice dictation. In this exercise, you will hear the text spoken at regular speed. During this time, it is good to just listen and get the meaning of the text. Then, it will be spoken again, phrase by phrase. During this time, write down what you think you hear. It will then be spoken a third time at a slow pace so you can read your text as you listen and make final corrections. Remember, everything counts in a dictation--spelling, grammar, and punctuation. So listen carefully. Open a document or get out paper and pencil.
Dictation Exercise (mp3)After you have done this, go to the "handouts" area of this course and download the answer to the dictation. (This is not a scored homework.)
Here are some sites that address ways to improve spelling:
"Ten Tips for Better Spelling": http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0903395.html"How to Improve Your Spelling": http://www.spellzone.com/unit02/page1.cfm"Five Guidelines for Learning Spelling and Six Ways of Practicing Spelling": http://www.ldonline.org/article/6192/Dictation activities: http://www.englishclub.com/listening/dictation.htm