y is spelling sew impoortent?

seareeuslee, duz it matter sew much?  I meen az long as u getchur messij across it shudint matter, rite?

Being able to spell properly isn't an indication of intelligence, is it?  It's just memorizing after all. So why is it every time I come across a spelling error on a letter or blueprints, proudly signed and stamped by an architect or engineer, I think to myself, "This guy has a degree?  He can't even spell!"

I understand typos, and even the odd "is it bycicle or bicycle?" (which never confused me til my mom, in her helpfulness, pointed out that some people get them confused. And no, I don't get them confused any more.).

But the people who can't be bothered to spell out "one" and replace s's with z's... ugh.

Being able to spell properly isn't a indication of intelligence. It's an indication of respect for the established system. It's an indication of how much effort the speller is willing to put into communicating their message in an attractive way.

Not alone in this.  I want to pull over and go inside a business that has a reader board with backwards "e" or "n".  There is still the potato/potatoe issue.  Getting riled up here.  I'll quit while I'm ahead.  "Text" speaking in public forums; save it for your journals where I don't have to read it.

Original Post by cactus_bob:

Being able to spell properly isn't a indication of intelligence. It's an indication of respect for the established system. It's an indication of how much effort the speller is willing to put into communicating their message in an attractive way.

 and it isn't always memorization - some of us were lucky enough to be in the system that taught us how to sound the words out (phonetics) so we can learn beyond what we were taught and have a reasonable chance of correctly pronouncing a new word or taking a stab at spelling an unfamiliar word.

My poor sister had to memorize. Her spelling is shyte.

It IS about respect. Its about how well you truly want to communicate. How many communication errors can be prevented by proper spelling? No guessing at what you are saying, its CLEAR. Its concise. Its readable. And you don't look like a blathering idiot.

Poor spelling is laziness. It means you didn't care enough to look that word up before you sent it to me. It means you didn't care enough to proofread what you sent me.

Its an established communication device and not using it properly is going to kill it.

I do like that mozilla automatically underlines misspelled words when I write in the forums - just in case I don't bother with the spell check.

But the way some people write - they aren't even trying to spell. I doubt spell check could help them.

I think proper spelling also conveys how serious a person is about getting their  message across, be it on an internet forum or a business publication.  Perhaps it is easier to ignore/excuse over the internet in a more casual setting, but it is inexcusable in a publication/advertisement. 

It definitely has to do with respect, I agree.  It not only reflects how much you respect your audience, but more importantly how much you respect YOURSELF.  Is that the image you want to portray?  Do you expect to be taken seriously?  I completely agree with crazydiamondchrysalis, it is about laziness, and caring about how you come across.     

Original Post by runyourlife:

Being able to spell properly isn't an indication of intelligence, is it? 

no, but poor spelling sure make you look stupid.

Number one reason employers give for not hiring: Even one typo on a resume.

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

Original Post by cactus_bob:

Being able to spell properly isn't a indication of intelligence. It's an indication of respect for the established system. It's an indication of how much effort the speller is willing to put into communicating their message in an attractive way.

Yes, that's totally it, isn't it?

Poor spelling is laziness. It means you didn't care enough to look that word up before you sent it to me. It means you didn't care enough to proofread what you sent me.

BUT... what if you don't know you're spelling improperly?  My 12-year old son is a B+ average student, but he's a terrible speller.

Original Post by runyourlife:

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

Original Post by cactus_bob:

Being able to spell properly isn't a indication of intelligence. It's an indication of respect for the established system. It's an indication of how much effort the speller is willing to put into communicating their message in an attractive way.

Yes, that's totally it, isn't it?

Poor spelling is laziness. It means you didn't care enough to look that word up before you sent it to me. It means you didn't care enough to proofread what you sent me.

BUT... what if you don't know you're spelling improperly?  My 12-year old son is a B+ average student, but he's a terrible speller.

 

 Well someone has to tell you. That is what school is for. Then (lucky for us) when we get older, we have spellcheck. Doesn't always catch the homophones, but you can (have to!) study up on that too.

If you've been told you have spelling issues, then you write everything while you sit next to a dictionary. We make our kid look up any word he isn't sure about. Sure its hard to look up a word you can't spell. THATS WHERE PHONICS COMES IN!!! They have to sound it out.

I taught my kid to read because I didn't trust/rely on the school to teach him what he needed to know, because of what happened with my sister.

That is also why reading is HIGHEST PRIORITY. You have to read in every subject! He reads 30 minutes a day. Period. Even in summer. SEEING the words spelled correctly reinforces what's been learned.

AND THAT IS WHY I AM PISSED when I find spelling errors in books! haha.

He reads 30 minutes a day. Period. Even in summer. SEEING the words spelled correctly reinforces what's been learned.

I have a total new respect for you CDC.  I am impressed that you can get him to do this.  We've tried this with my son.  We've had to settle on graphic novels (lame, I know) because he just can't get "into" anything else - but we figure it's better than nothing at all.

Have you ever spelled something wrong and even spell check can't decipher what it is you are trying to spell? ha. That's me sometimes. 

I think spelling errors on internet forums, text messages, etc are ok since most are really just typos or abbreviations. I do, however, have issues with work related emails, letters, etc.

Original Post by fitnessgirll:

Have you ever spelled something wrong and even spell check can't decipher what it is you are trying to spell? ha. That's me sometimes. 

I think spelling errors on internet forums, text messages, etc are ok since most are really just typos or abbreviations. I do, however, have issues with work related emails, letters, etc.

 yeah, the work related stuff is what REALLY peeves me. Last company would send stuff to customers full of all kinds of errors. I was so embarassed.

Company before that, I made fun of my boss enough that he FINALLY let me proofread his emails before he'd send them out.

This company has been pretty good about spelling/grammar. I heart it.

My kid spotted a spelling error in a book in Kindergarten. The teacher's big book, didn't match the kids' read along books.

He got a letter from the publisher. We were very proud. :)

The thing that bothers me the most is signage that is misspelled for no apparent reason.  I mean, I can understand something like "Kate's Kuts", but not "Kum and Go" (yes, there really are convinience stores with that name).

And people who insist on writing in slang - I can get through most phonological misspellings, but if I'm not familiar with the slang, it's like trying to read a foreign language.

Now, there are a lot of words I can spell, but don't know how to pronounce (or forget if I'm reading aloud)....but that's a different thread.

Original Post by runyourlife:

He reads 30 minutes a day. Period. Even in summer. SEEING the words spelled correctly reinforces what's been learned.

I have a total new respect for you CDC.  I am impressed that you can get him to do this.  We've tried this with my son.  We've had to settle on graphic novels (lame, I know) because he just can't get "into" anything else - but we figure it's better than nothing at all.

 

 haha, he can read for 30 minutes and play video games or go outside, or he can stare at the ceiling all day. =D His choice!

I do take him to get different books, and he switches books out with friends because he does need a GOOD book and not just some random book I pick for him. He's read most of the harry potter books, and he has several dragon books he likes. How old is your son? Have you heard of the "captain underpants" books or the "diary of a wimpy kid"? Him and his friends found those hilarious. (the diary was pretty funny to me, heh)

I freely admit to being a terrible pedant when it comes to spelling.  There's a world of difference between beeches and beaches, reign and rain, time and thyme.   If Her Majesty the Queen rained over us it would be headline news.

However, it's the incorrect use of the apostrophe that leaves me foaming at the mouth. At the local greengrocer the signs are offering ... APPLE'S... BANANA'S... and ... CARROT'S. .... and I find myself in full grumpy old woman mode muttering 'apple's what?'... 'what belongs to the banana?'.   Get me started on 'it's' and 'its' and we'd be here all night.

I thought this was a solo affliction and kept quiet for years until reading an excellent book entitled 'Eats Shoots and Leaves' by Lynne Truss and discovering I was not alone!!!! 

So if u cnt spl @ lst gt th bldy pnctuatn rt.....

I do take him to get different books, and he switches books out with friends because he does need a GOOD book and not just some random book I pick for him.

This is the problem.  He's not a big reader to start AND there's not alot out there for boys his age.  It's a bit of a conundrum (oooo, I don't think I've used that one in a while - hope I spelled it right).

He's read most of the harry potter books, and he has several dragon books he likes. How old is your son? Have you heard of the "captain underpants" books or the "diary of a wimpy kid"? Him and his friends found those hilarious. (the diary was pretty funny to me, heh)

My first son is 12.  He's also read several dragon books - "Eragon" comes to mind as a favourite. He read all the Capt. Underpants book a couple of years ago and he loved Mary Pope Osborne's "Treehouse" series.  It's just lately that he hasn't found anything he's into.  I'll look into the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". Thanks 

 

Original Post by gi-jane:

...If Her Majesty the Queen rained over us it would be headline news...

...Get me started on 'it's' and 'its' and we'd be here all night...

...So if u cnt spl @ lst gt th bldy pnctuatn rt...

All so true and so funny too.

I'm glad to know it's not just me - I thought I was being a bit snobbish in my thinking.

 

 

Original Post by gi-jane:

I freely admit to being a terrible pedant when it comes to spelling.  There's a world of difference between beeches and beaches, reign and rain, time and thyme.   If Her Majesty the Queen rained over us it would be headline news.

However, it's the incorrect use of the apostrophe that leaves me foaming at the mouth. At the local greengrocer the signs are offering ... APPLE'S... BANANA'S... and ... CARROT'S. .... and I find myself in full grumpy old woman mode muttering 'apple's what?'... 'what belongs to the banana?'.   Get me started on 'it's' and 'its' and we'd be here all night.

I thought this was a solo affliction and kept quiet for years until reading an excellent book entitled 'Eats Shoots and Leaves' by Lynne Truss and discovering I was not alone!!!! 

So if u cnt spl @ lst gt th bldy pnctuatn rt.....

 

 

 THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS!!! I almost said something about that - this is what slips through even the engineer's work. That's the only thing they can't seem to get.

Those drive me absolutely batty... seeing them in commercials, signs, UGH!