I've always been embarrassed that spelling bees are a thing in English. It's interesting that you can see the etymology of a word in its spelling, but horrific spelling sure is a barrier to literacy. How do you pronounce "lough"? How about "rough" or "dough"? And "plough"? Now try "hiccough".

I envy Finnish kids. They've already mastered the grammar and are well on their way with the vocabulary. Spelling is barely a speed bump. English speakers have national competitions to demonstrate that they've mastered spelling.