Spelling!!!

To be honest, I've never really understood the importance of spelling. IMO, the purpose of language is to convey meaning. If we can understand the meaning, does the spelling matter? The correct ways to spell words are just things that somebody made up. Who decided that, in some instances, sought was a better spelling than sort? Or saut? Or sawt? Is "sought", with its silent g and h really a good way to spell that word?

On a different note, my dad is barely literate and his spelling absolutely cracks me up. He speaks with a strong Italian accent, and just spells things the way he says them. So for example, my name is Cathy, he says it Ke-ti and actually spells it Keti. :eek:

Yet you chose to use good spelling and grammar in your post :confused::)

The reason for English grammar being confusing, is because of the different languages words were taken from which had completely different grammar & spelling, like Scottish/Welsh/Irish/Latin/Greek/Grench/German & I assume their own English spelling & grammar.
 
To be honest, I've never really understood the importance of spelling. IMO, the purpose of language is to convey meaning. If we can understand the meaning, does the spelling matter? The correct ways to spell words are just things that somebody made up. Who decided that, in some instances, sought was a better spelling than sort? Or saut? Or sawt? Is "sought", with its silent g and h really a good way to spell that word?

Because the very foundation of language is its universality among its speakers. That is why it is annoying when people spell things incorrectly all the time...especially when it's not that hard to get it right these days with spellcheck.
 
Because the very foundation of language is its universality among its speakers. That is why it is annoying when people spell things incorrectly all the time...especially when it's not that hard to get it right these days with spellcheck.

Not noticing a bloody typo isn't the end of the world... (well what else would you honestly expect me to say !)

But when people question why everything under the sun exists and is like it is, when they are adults, it gets annoying as if they are trying to act like 4 yr olds.... why does spelling exist.. why this.. why that...why why ??
 
Typos/spelling errors detract from the message you are trying to convey. You should know that jaycee. Why do you think companies spend so much money on professional copy writers and marketing?
 
Typos/spelling errors detract from the message you are trying to convey. You should know that jaycee. Why do you think companies spend so much money on professional copy writers and marketing?

I do know that Aaron.

I was making a joke - please note, nowhere did I siuggest it wasa good joke.

I did not realise it was so serious.

I do understand the obvious logic in what you are saying and am not arguinig against itin anyway

Take it easy & have a nice day.
 
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Yet you chose to use good spelling and grammar in your post :confused::)

I don’t need to be a bad speller to think that spelling is unimportant. I think everyone has at least one skill that they don’t really think they need…
Anyway, I’m not trying to start an anti-spelling movement, I just that I think we judge other people as annoying or less intelligent if they can’t spell, and I guess I think it’s more important to be easygoing than it is to be correct.

Typos/spelling errors detract from the message you are trying to convey. You should know that jaycee. Why do you think companies spend so much money on professional copy writers and marketing?

Typos detract from a message only because of the perception of the reader, not because the meaning is inherently lost.
 
I don’t need to be a bad speller to think that spelling is unimportant. I think everyone has at least one skill that they don’t really think they need…
Anyway, I’m not trying to start an anti-spelling movement, I just that I think we judge other people as annoying or less intelligent if they can’t spell, and I guess I think it’s more important to be easygoing than it is to be correct.



Typos detract from a message only because of the perception of the reader, not because the meaning is inherently lost.[/QUOTE]

Korekt.

Eym a dokta traaast mei, four tenn gran iell maik u oll wel

pai men furs - chek or muni orda axcepted

pliz koncida mi
 
I don’t need to be a bad speller to think that spelling is unimportant. I think everyone has at least one skill that they don’t really think they need…
Anyway, I’m not trying to start an anti-spelling movement, I just that I think we judge other people as annoying or less intelligent if they can’t spell, and I guess I think it’s more important to be easygoing than it is to be correct.



Typos detract from a message only because of the perception of the reader, not because the meaning is inherently lost.[/QUOTE]

Korekt.

Eym a dokta traaast mei, four tenn gran iell maik u oll wel

pai men furs - chek or muni orda axcepted

pliz koncida mi

Correct.
I'm a doctor trust me,for ten (or fourteen) grand I'll make you all well
payment first-cheque or money order accepted
please consider me


...just like when my daughter was starting to spell in grade 1 :p
 
First impressions can be deceiving.

Kind and gentle house in higly sort after location.

Seperate studio/gamesroom. Infinate possibilities.

(Can't help thinking it's a Freudian slip...the owner is really desperate).

By the way I need some advice on this one...

"Appearances can be deceiving" or "Apperances can be deceptive". I was taught the latter was the correct grammar.
 
Correct.
I'm a doctor trust me,for ten (or fourteen) grand I'll make you all well
payment first-cheque or money order accepted
please consider me


...just like when my daughter was starting to spell in grade 1 :p

Of cours eit acan be read...... the person still wants you to be able to read it

but whether people would honeslty / acutally use them when not trying to prove a point on a forum thread about spelling not mattering might be different
 
real estate, or any other copy should be perfect.

how about the inappropriate use of the apostrophe? the green grocers use of the apostrophe, or the inappropriate use when the word ends in an s.

theirs been so much good advise in this thread.

if the noun and verb sound different then it's more important that their spelt correctly.
 
Of cours eit acan be read...... the person still wants you to be able to read it

It can be read - but is extremely difficult. When words are written phonetically one had to "sound" the words out in their head to understand - rather than just read and interpret.

One of my pet hate (asides from most of the above) is site and sight.

Jaycee is right in that the English lanugage was developed in the middle ages, when it was decided that the written language of Great Britain would be changed from Latin. The church requested submissions of the spellings for particular words, and then chose from the selection.

There was no logic to the decisions - hence there is no real logic to the English language. Glad I learnt it from birth rather than as an adult!

I love the history of the standardised Italian language ...
 
OK I've officially had enough of reading poor ad copy on real estate ads!
Have I got this right? Somebody who spells their name like the French jacques but pronounces it Jacky complains about spelling? No wonder people are confused by the language ;-)
 
I agree with the OP that a lot of people have terrible spelling. It seems to be Gen Y and Z more than any other. It may possibly be related to all the extra curricular activities in modern schools at the expense of the basics.

A person writing ads for a newspaper or website should have excellent spelling to perform their role properly. This is even more important for journalists who also leave a lot to be desired these days.

Personally I think that spell check has made things worse rather than better. It is great for getting the 'e' and 'i' in the right order in certain words, but it doesn't help distinguishing between there, their and they're.

Perhaps a big contributer is our complicated English language. There is a solution proposed below:

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German (which was the other possibility). As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English."

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be> replaced with "f." This will make words like fotograf 20 per cent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, alwil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the fourth yer peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" wiz "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ze fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Zen ve vil rul ze vorld!!
 
It seems to be Gen Y and Z more than any other. I

If you look at the atrocious spelling on here, you'll find that particular stereotype is completely inaccurate. Check out the spelling in one thread title - absolutely 'appauling'.

That article is interesting, as I have a lot of friends in Europe (all over Europe). Their ability to spell english words correctly (even though english is their second or even third language) is much better than a lot people for whom english is their first language - and that includes a significant portion of people on this board.
 
I have a lot of friends in Europe (all over Europe). Their ability to spell english words correctly (even though english is their second or even third language) is much better than a lot people for whom english is their first language

If you look at the published research, you'll find that particular stereotype is completely inaccurate. :)
 
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