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More about the < u > / < o > interrelationship
There was an increasing tendency to use < o > instead of < u > when that helped to make the spelling clearer. Compare the two examples on the left. The first < uv > is written in the script of the time, then as < ov >. The contrast in clarity is obvious.
Similar considerations of visual clarity have had an influence in the phoneme / ᴧ / coming to be represented by < o > when Modern English speakers might expect < u >.
among come mother other
ton won some none
honey front monkey month
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