I cannot agree more with Joseph Muscat’s letter, ‘Maltese spelling of English words’, (The Sunday Times of Malta, August 10).

Much has been written and said about this subject but nothing has ever been done. As Muscat points out this is becoming more and more confusing and I pity students who do not know where they stand.

We also have a problem with the blatant and unnecessary use and misuse of words like ġewwa, intant, propju, and għalfejn instead of għaliex (‘why’). We even hear politicians and professionals uttering such words, not realising how silly they look in the eyes of those who know something about Maltese.

Imagine saying to an Englishman – or any sensible person for that matter: “I was inside (ġewwa) London last week”; “I have a book inside my hand”; “We will have lunch inside that restaurant outside”.

And now to add insult to injury we have foreigners who cannot pronounce Maltese airing advertisements. So one hears words like ‘brobjeta’ for ‘propjeta’ and ‘garass’ for garaxx.

It will not be at all surprising if we hear people saying ‘baba’ for papà, ‘babra’ for papra, ‘kassa’ for kaxxa, ‘bomba’ for pompa and ‘brobju’ for propju, because many seem to think that what is said on television or radio is correct.

May some authority – sooner rather than later – take the bull by the horns and do something about these stupidities and insults to our intelligence.