Spelling

Just returned from a holiday cottage and the comments book on the property was amazing how many people cannot speak the word 'Accommodation' properly. Double C, double M. Every spelling under the sun. My English teacher would turn in his grave!

ps Many other languages have regular spelling rules.

I blame the english spelling 'system'. There are very few fixed rules. More exceptions to those rules.

My daughter, born in the 60s , learned to read and write using ita ( initial teaching alphabet) She could read well by 5. However the transition to the 'normal' alphabet was not so easy for her. She has a degree in English and a very responsible job, but still finds spelling difficult. No fault of hers

Actually, I am grateful if someone corrects my spelling; I hate making spelling mistakes and always have.

It is rude not to bother to check spelling before posting, so easy to do now with spellcheckers.
Rarely have mistakes anything to do with dyslexia, but an awful lot to do with disinclination.

We have already agreed that's not what we do Whitewave but this is Pedants Corner for general gripes about spelling and grammar.
No need to get exercised about this.

My spelling has always been dire, and getting worse as I get older.

But honestly folks it is terribly rude to correct people, and you should always refrain from doing so.

That person may have dyslexia, or simply be a lousy speller like wot I am, but we don’t need telling -we know??

Errors in books irritate me. Do they not employ proofreaders anymore?

There was a time when you rarely, if ever, saw an error in a newspaper, thanks to the diligence of the sub-editors.

I’ve just picked up a paper in the cafe to read and someone has corrected every error spelling grammar etc., and written in the margin a score out of 10!! ?

In my working years part of my job was to prepare individual programmes for children with reading and spelling problems.
I made up one spelling programme consisting of a story containing deliberate spelling mistakes. The child had a red felt-tip to put a line through the mistakes. Then (hopefully) write the correct spelling.
The children really enjoyed doing this.
But our poor secretary, who was good at spelling, found it very difficult to type out the programme. With all the mistakes.

I think, as this is pedants corner, this is just the place to air ones irritation.
In a way it’s poking fun at ones own limitations.
It’s completely out of place elsewhere (for all the reasons put forward by shower gel and others).
Just another stick to beat others with!

Let's just hope that everyone reading this thread will realise and finally understand - really understand - that it is not only extremely poor internet etiquette, but also rude and arrogant to correct someone's grammar and or spelling.

You see? It's nothing to do with intelligence or intellect, and anyone having the cheek to correct another's errors is merely displaying their own ignorance

Thanks Framilode and everyone. Very interesting thread.

Brilliant writing Doodle -

Lovely KatyK - hope it hasn't stopped him writing.

sodapop -

I do think that often if you're told 'forget the spelling just get on with writing' the grammar ends up spot on because basically grammar is just the way you speak with all the pauses and so on in all the right places. Its the natural flow which makes good writing - from the heart in other words where you're not overthinking. OMG - shall I break this up or not? I usually do that after writing in a block...so my flow isn't affected...

Hmmmmmmmmm

Very much agree about using paragraphs!

Large chunks of text often don't make for easy reading.

Love it Maw

No need to stop in mid flow showergelfresh just go back and proof read. I agree though this is not the measure of someone's intelligence. If that was the case then my ability with numbers would put me somewhere at the bottom of the list.
It's just that as an avid reader I find these errors irritating, on here but even more so in books when the author is being paid for their work.

I dislike books which have American spellings such as defense, if someone has difficulty spelling I feel it would confuse them further.
I think on Line of Duty I heard someone say they needed a 'raise' instead of a 'rise'.
I'll go and sit in the corner.

My DH is an intelligent man who held a responsible management job all his working life. His spelling is appalling. He just can't grasp it. Even the simplest words leave him flummoxed. He was paying for something by cheque in a shop once and he said to me 'how do you spell thirty?: I have always been good at spelling. I had to be in my work. Since I have retired my spelling has suffered a bit. Also, my phone sometimes decides it knows better than me and I don't notice until I have posted/texted.

I have dyslexia and a very bad memory. I had a good education at school and passed my English O level (just). I have found that with age my spelling is getting worse. Many times I type something and then look at it and think ? not sure so look it up. Sometimes being corrected by others does not help. It can make you question yourself more and more. The end result is that you don’t write for fear of making mistakes. This has happened to me a lot. If I can write with a dictionary at hand that’s fine but if I am just required to write something on the spot I constantly have to re phrase what I am writing so I can use words I know how to spell. It is not just a matter of learning things and remembering them. My memory problems are nothing to do with dementia (I hope) but for some reason I just struggle to remember. I don’t really mind being corrected but as I said it makes me question myself more. Doesn’t stop me posting but might affect others.

Showergelfresh I empathise with you. My dad was also a scientist, maths and physics were his subjects. I was hopeless at both and he used to give me private tuition. He used to get so frustrated that I couldn't grasp what came so easily to him. We all have different talents, what comes easily to one does not to another.

P.P.S Or rather I thought I was rubbish just because I was no good at Science!
How ridiculous is that?

P.S They always need lots of volunteers because its every day and one to one (which is the whole point.) Giving confidence is paramount - how fantastic is that?

I am so sorry some posters were critisized for their spelling on here by other posters. Who do those critical posters think they are?

I think I feel for this cause because my Dad was a scientist and I was rubbish at Science - I've always thought until recently that he thought I was rubbish.

Thank you everyone for backing up my post.

Just to say a bit more...

The only thing to be encouraged is to write and post.

Ideas accumulate and a person needs to get it down.
Thinking about spellings and or grammar is constricting to this process.

Often grammar flows naturally if ideas are free flowing.
Spelling is another matter entirely. Having to stop mid flow and consider a spelling immediately stops all thought processes dead. It is a writing killer.

Whatever the case never let lack of confidence in your writing skills stop you posting on here or anywhere. Hold your head up and let us know what you think about things and let those ideas flow.

Don't write a big chunk but equally don't stress about where to break the chunk up - breaking it up makes it a bit easier on the eye.

Finally - I do this brilliant voluntary job to do with Literacy and children after school. Anyone can do it and its so well run and fun I can't begin to tell you so if you'd like to find out more please don't hesitate to message me.
Its not hardcore - loads of ridiculous references required - just the criminal records check - and remember it doesn't matter if you can't spell well!

To perhaps lift the tone (from the sublime to the ridiculous?)
I spotted this today