▁but ▁also ▁meg et , ▁mag t , ▁mag et , ▁mag d , ▁and ▁me cht . ▁Some ▁spell ings , ▁such ▁as ▁mag d , ▁reflect ▁an ▁early ▁t endency ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁underlying ▁ph on em ic ▁value . ▁However , ▁by ▁and ▁large , ▁sp elling ▁was ▁ph on etic , ▁which ▁is ▁logical ▁as ▁people ▁usually ▁read ▁texts ▁out ▁loud . ▁ ▁Modern ▁diction aries ▁tend ▁to ▁represent ▁words ▁in ▁a ▁normal ised ▁sp elling ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁comprom ise ▁between ▁the ▁variable ▁spell ings ▁on ▁one ▁hand ▁and ▁to ▁represent ▁the ▁sounds ▁of ▁the ▁language ▁consist ently . ▁Thus , ▁normal ised ▁spell ings ▁attempt ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁general ▁or ▁" aver age " ▁sp elling ▁but ▁still ▁being ▁accurate ▁and ▁true ▁to ▁the ▁language . ▁ ▁V ow els ▁ ▁The ▁general ▁practice ▁was ▁to ▁write ▁long ▁v ow els ▁with ▁a ▁single ▁letter ▁in ▁an ▁open ▁sy ll able ▁and ▁with ▁two ▁letters ▁in ▁a ▁closed ▁sy ll able . ▁Which ▁two ▁letters ▁were ▁used ▁varied ▁among ▁texts . ▁Some ▁texts , ▁especially ▁those ▁in ▁the ▁east , ▁do ▁not ▁do ▁so ▁and ▁write ▁long ▁v ow els ▁with ▁a ▁single ▁letter ▁in ▁all ▁cases ▁( as ▁is ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁rule ▁in ▁modern ▁German ). ▁ ▁Cons on ants ▁ ▁Gram mar ▁ ▁N oun s ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁n oun s ▁inf lect ed ▁for ▁number ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁case . ▁The ▁weak ening ▁of ▁un str essed ▁sy ll ables ▁merged ▁many