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What spelling mistake do you hate/notice the most?

(309 Posts)
Puzzlelove Sat 15-Jun-24 09:32:39

Received an email this morning from a well known greeting card from that I use. Why don’t these mistakes get noticed? I hate seeing this spelling mistake.

Bumface Sun 16-Jun-24 09:44:25

As a Kronnerkly* bad speller, I simply fail to notice misspelt
(or is it misspelled) words. I would be hopeless as a proof reader. The neutral vowel sound gets me nearly every time.

I spell check (or is it spellcheck) several times whenever I post anything but I am sure some sneaky mistakes creep in. And that is before we get onto grammar, punctuation and syntax.

I am very sorry if this offends anybody.

*chronically

Greenfinch Sun 16-Jun-24 09:42:11

I have wondered this too Greta. There are lots of examples of this eg he was headed instead of he was heading.

MaizieD Sun 16-Jun-24 09:38:17

zakouma66

MaizieD

The trouble with spelling is it looks right to the speller.

That's the nub of the problem for so many people. Spelling has been mistaught as a visual skill for decades, which it isn't.

The criteria should be 'Does it sound right?' Spelling is about representing the sounds in a word by symbols for those sounds. Complexity kicks in as there are different ways of spelling most sounds and learning which sound spelling goes in which word is the hard bit.

How can I " hear" words like Edinburgh?

Surely it is a visual thing?

( genuinely interested)

Pronunciation varies with accents and alters over time, so yes, some words when spoken (but not a particularly significant percentage of the entire lexicon) do get divorced from their original sound/symbol connections.

But the historical development of writing too place over a long period of time and was based on the breakdown of words into their component sounds and assigning a symbol to represent each of those sounds.

If you didn't do this how on earth else would you decide what each individual word would look like? ('you' in this context being the ancient peoples working out how to represent spoken words visually)

Greta Sun 16-Jun-24 09:35:24

Also "I was sat". Not sure why this has now replaced "I was sitting".

Luckygirl3 Sun 16-Jun-24 09:30:11

Two things:
- loose instead of lose.
- "He was stood" - no, no, no - "He was standing." The BBC get this wrong all the time.

zakouma66 Sun 16-Jun-24 09:22:19

MaizieD

^The trouble with spelling is it looks right to the speller.^

That's the nub of the problem for so many people. Spelling has been mistaught as a visual skill for decades, which it isn't.

The criteria should be 'Does it sound right?' Spelling is about representing the sounds in a word by symbols for those sounds. Complexity kicks in as there are different ways of spelling most sounds and learning which sound spelling goes in which word is the hard bit.

How can I " hear" words like Edinburgh?

Surely it is a visual thing?

( genuinely interested)

LucyAnna2 Sun 16-Jun-24 09:22:13

Anniebach

Imagined GSM GN is a school ?

With some very bossy teachers grin

Greenfinch Sun 16-Jun-24 09:21:04

I think this thread should be under Pedants’ Corner rather than Chat where it could be avoided by those not interested in the purity of language.

Anniebach Sun 16-Jun-24 09:13:40

Imagined GSM GN is a school ?

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 16-Jun-24 09:12:06

Weren’t you a teacher Annie, or have I imagined that?

Anniebach Sun 16-Jun-24 09:10:02

Pick, pick, pick,pick

MaizieD Sun 16-Jun-24 09:08:46

The trouble with spelling is it looks right to the speller.

That's the nub of the problem for so many people. Spelling has been mistaught as a visual skill for decades, which it isn't.

The criteria should be 'Does it sound right?' Spelling is about representing the sounds in a word by symbols for those sounds. Complexity kicks in as there are different ways of spelling most sounds and learning which sound spelling goes in which word is the hard bit.

GrannyGravy13 Sun 16-Jun-24 09:03:01

I am guilty of not checking everything I post, mainly due to multi tasking.

I have been picked up on apostrophes, spellings and capital letters by other posters, but hey ho if it makes them feel better…

Grannynannywanny Sun 16-Jun-24 09:02:05

I’ve just read elsewhere that a regular poster is considering leaving GN because of comments on this thread regarding poor spelling and grammar. Yesterday I posted that critical comments on the spelling and grammar of other posters makes me feel very uncomfortable. It’s now making my blood boil 😡

She has bravely spoken out but I wonder how many others are hurt and embarrassed but just quietly withdraw for fear of further criticism.

Pittcity Sun 16-Jun-24 08:59:28

Baggs

Typos aren't really spelling mistakes.

Yes, but they are "blimmin" annoying when you notice them after you've pressed post. 🙄

petra Sun 16-Jun-24 08:59:09

Marydoll

This thread makes me even more wary of posting, for fear of making errors.
I frequently write wsa, taht and hvae, despite proof reading.

I have an MA in Eng Language and Literature, but no matter how much I try to be accurate in my spelling, my brain thinks otherwise.
For some of us, it is not so easy to be accurate. For that very reason, my daughter's dyslexia and a desire to help others, I gained a number of SEN qualifications.
It can be most demoralising and confidence draining for those who have spelling difficulties.

I can understand the necessity of accuracy in the media, but not on a forum like GN.

End of lecture.😉

Thank you 👏👏👏

zakouma66 Sun 16-Jun-24 08:44:00

I do feel a bit miffed when I see Monday's on an official notice.

The trouble with spelling is it looks right to the speller.

Baggs Sun 16-Jun-24 08:42:45

Typos aren't really spelling mistakes.

Pittcity Sun 16-Jun-24 08:40:05

Modern technology doesn't help MD.
Typing this on a tablet I have already had to delete and retype several bits due to fat finger syndrome.

Marydoll Sun 16-Jun-24 08:34:20

This thread makes me even more wary of posting, for fear of making errors.
I frequently write wsa, taht and hvae, despite proof reading.

I have an MA in Eng Language and Literature, but no matter how much I try to be accurate in my spelling, my brain thinks otherwise.
For some of us, it is not so easy to be accurate. For that very reason, my daughter's dyslexia and a desire to help others, I gained a number of SEN qualifications.
It can be most demoralising and confidence draining for those who have spelling difficulties.

I can understand the necessity of accuracy in the media, but not on a forum like GN.

End of lecture.😉

M0nica Sun 16-Jun-24 08:19:29

The ones I make myself, usually the result of transposing letters and missing the correct key on the keyboard.

In my case the cause is not dyslexia, but dyspraxia.

Georgesgran Sun 16-Jun-24 08:15:17

I’m with Pitt. Both my DDs are dyslexic and I spent years (and a small fortune!) taking them to special lessons, which helped them adapt to it.
However, it’s really inexcusable for spelling/grammar mistakes to appear in advertisements or newspapers, where such things are supposed to be checked.

Pittcity Sun 16-Jun-24 08:00:39

It would be easier if we had an EDIT button on GN and bl***y autocorrect was actually correct!

As the wife and mother of people with dyslexia, I think that it is fair to criticise companies that do not get their advertising checked. We shouldn't be too harsh on individuals though.

That said, I am a member of the Association for the Annihilation (also Abolition) of the Aberrant Apostrophe, as set up by the late, great Keith Waterhouse. If in doubt don't use one!

Bonnybanko Sun 16-Jun-24 07:35:57

Mississippi if you can’t spell IT you’re a very big dunce ( joke)

Bonnybanko Sun 16-Jun-24 07:33:47

To instead of too really bugs me,

received, instead of received,
I was always told it’s an I before e except after c , would that be correct ? 🤣