NationStates Jolt Archive

If I have to read another post that contains gross spelling errors, I'm going to fly to the UK and vomit from the plane.

Please, please, please. I'm speaking primarily to those whose first language is English - please work on your spelling.

I'm not concerned about the words I know are different between the UK and the US. I'm concerned about the words that are so badly mangled that I have difficulty deciphering the intent of the author.

Wat teh fuc r u saeing?

(Yoo new this was goeng two hapen!)

y u trippen?

Wat teh fuc r u saeing?

(Yoo new this was goeng two hapen!)

And it's still not half as many misspelled words as the typical Neo Cannen post.

you got kids, legs?

modern schools do not believe in the systematic teaching of spelling. thats why so many of these kids dont know and dont care how to spell.

if your kids are in school you should talk to the teacher about his/her feelings about teaching spelling. if they dont DO that, you are going to have to do it on your own. the better your school district the more likely they are to not teach spelling.

i can spel raly wel. wat abowt u?

I agree WL.

But huuked an foniks werked fer mea!

you got kids, legs?

modern schools do not believe in the systematic teaching of spelling. thats why so many of these kids dont know and dont care how to spell.

if your kids are in school you should talk to the teacher about his/her feelings about teaching spelling. if they dont DO that, you are going to have to do it on your own. the better your school district the more likely they are to not teach spelling.
thats because for many spelling gets fixed with spell check

I agree WL.

But huuked an foniks werked fer mea!
i ame a huked on foniks gwaduit toe

And it's still not half as many misspelled words as the typical Neo Cannen post.
In Neo Cannen's introduction I counted twelve misspellings.
To list only a few:
Realry
Morral
Morrality
Evangolism
Evangalism

Dont forget that many people have slow, unreliable computers, and sometimes have difficulties fixing typos.

Besides, I personally get a kick out of some spelling mistakes sometimes.

And huh-ooked on pah-haw-nics wuh-ur-ked fer meh too! :rolleyes:

wat u meen, man?

Seriously, bad spelling, 'tis a issue nowadays. Those damn cell phones, artifacts of the devil, are to blame! :headbang:

thats because for many spelling gets fixed with spell check
and if they DID that, we would have no clue that they dont know how to spell. which leaves us with the strange phenomenon of not knowing how to spell and not CARING about it. that falls right into the lap of modern education theory.

I've seen people mispell words like "using" and "square"; the death of grammar is nothing new to me.

I mean, the time it takes for the average person to decipher intangible grammer is far more than the time saved by writing in it!

I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments WL. These gross errors bug me too, and yes I am guilty of making stupid mistakes as well. I promise to be more careful with my spelling in the futur.

thats because for many spelling gets fixed with spell check[/QUOTE]
i dont have a problem with miss spelled words because i cannot spell vary well. i was not tought to spell in kindergarden and 1st grade (i'm 15) i was told to spell everything pheneticaly. (sorry i warned you i can't spell) untill last year i spelt spell spel b/c i was never told any deferent. i don't like incorrest gramer even though i use i sometimes.

Do you know what annoys me most?

People misusing "your" and "you're", and then "there", "their" and "they're". Oh, and "two", "to" and "too".

In Neo Cannen's introduction I counted twelve misspellings.
To list only a few:
Realry
Morral
Morrality
Evangolism
Evangalism
I count 17.

prolythising
evangalism (x2)
comming
wasnt
rearly (x2)
proberbly (lol!)
implyed
religon
vunrable
ammount
morrally
evanglism
morrality
orignal
brimestone

I want to know wtf brimestone is, personally. Fossilized sea monkeys? Frozen salt water?

i dont have a problem with miss spelled words because i cannot spell vary well. i was not tought to spell in kindergarden and 1st grade (i'm 15) i was told to spell everything pheneticaly. (sorry i warned you i can't spell) untill last year i spelt spell spel b/c i was never told any deferent. i don't like incorrest gramer even though i use i sometimes.
this is why you have a moral obligation to use spellcheck. have you noticed yet that your highschool teachers dont put up with such bad spelling? it only gets worse in college and the work world.

you got kids, legs?

modern schools do not believe in the systematic teaching of spelling. thats why so many of these kids dont know and dont care how to spell.

if your kids are in school you should talk to the teacher about his/her feelings about teaching spelling. if they dont DO that, you are going to have to do it on your own. the better your school district the more likely they are to not teach spelling.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Edukashun is a bran-washing tule. (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=414901)

Wots you'r problm taking abowt mye speeling? Its quiker and I nt a gud typr!

Just kidding...I can't stand these people either. Their incessant use of abbreviations and overall fucked up grammar is an eyesore.

People misusing "your" and "you're", and then "there", "their" and "they're". Oh, and "two", "to" and "too".
And let's not forget these wonderful misused sets as well:

it's/its, where/wear/ware/were, hear/here, for/four/fore, hair/hare, reed/read, see/sea, plain/plane

*Granted, some of these are mistaken more than others, but all have been misused at some point.

I place all poor spellers in my mouth and then chew them. This is fun.

Then I wake up, weeping.

Traumatization. Can't live with it, can't live without it.

I think that I caught the tail end of the US education system teaching kids how to spell systematically instead of phonetically. My brother, two years my junior, was actively taught all through grade school to spell words as they sounded, and now he's 20 and can't spell worth a damn.

I think that I caught the tail end of the US education system teaching kids how to spell systematically instead of phonetically. My brother, two years my junior, was actively taught all through grade school to spell words as they sounded, and now he's 20 and can't spell worth a damn.

Wow. I had no idea schools actually taught kids to spell in that manner.

Edukashun is a bran-washing tule.[/url]




Braaaaaaaans! BRAAAAAAANS!

there is nothing wrong with spelling words the way they sound, all language is idiom, arbitary spelling rules are just that arbitrary. dictionaries have no more right to define proper spelling than anything else. they are simply an attempt to codify language and often fossilize it by interests of the 19th century ruling elites carried over through the 20th century into the 21st. they only have the power individuals give them. to, too and two are pronounced the same, there is no reason to spell them differently because they have different meanings.

The lack of proper spelling isn't really that bad, or so I think. It only makes me wonder how people, who're natives to the English language, can't even spell their own native language properly. I mean, it's sad when you realize that your English, even though you're not a native speaker, is better than the English of some Americans or English (mostly Americans though). And also amusing at times to watch how really fucked up certain school systems are.

More annoying are those self-proclaimed "l33t" kids and their completely lame BS attempt of looking cool.

More annoying are those self-proclaimed "l33t" kids and their completely lame BS attempt of looking cool.

Oh god. Don't get me started with that...

(Edit: In response to Ernst_Rohm's comment about to, too, and two.)

Of course there's a reason to spell them differently! Their meanings are distinct, and thus spelling them differently aids in comprehension--that ought to be reason enough!

I agree--the lack of attention to grammar and spelling is nothing short of appalling. At least people should know their own limitations--if you're not sure of a word, check it (as I just did with appalling, for some reason I had put a "u" in the word).

Careless errors, or mistakes by nonnative speakers, are acceptable to an extent. But otherwise, I direct you to dictionary.com, your nearest word processing program, or a hard copy of a dictionary!

How is intellectual discussion expected to occur if people are not able to display a basic knowledge of language?

There is actually a very simple and fun way to sort this out:

1) Quote the original problem post in yours.

2) Highlight the incorrectly spelt words in a different colour or use the strikethrough option on the font (if available).

3) Post your response with no other content.

This also works for emails rather effectively. :p

The other problem which is more serious IMO is the grammatical errors, and these are what tends to lead to the ambiguous content.

There is actually a very simple and fun way to sort this out:

1) Quote the original problem post in yours.

2) Highlight the incorrectly spelt words in a different colour or use the strikethrough option on the font (if available).

3) Post your response with no other content.

This also works for emails rather effectively. :p

The other problem which is more serious IMO is the grammatical errors, and these are what tends to lead to the ambiguous content.

That is one of the best ideas I've heard all day!

That is one of the best ideas I've heard all day!

Kinda...

It also anoys me how people spell the word definitely wrong. (and that IS the correct spelling, I'm practically a walking dictionary).

Many people spell it definately. It's an I, people!

Kinda...

It also anoys me how people spell the word definitely wrong. (and that IS the correct spelling, I'm practically a walking dictionary).

Many people spell it definately. It's an I, people!

:p

yurd der 1 dat spilt peepil uuo kanit spil dryv mi nuds wrong!

You ment to say "People who cannot spell drive my nuts!"-RIGHT? :D

So are you a stick shift or Auto? :p

shut youre mouth

where better than you

I hate people that cannot spell. I think that if they speak English then they should be able to write English CORRECTLY.

shut youre mouth

where better than you

I hate people that cannot spell. I think that if they speak English then they should be able to write English CORRECTLY.
dont bee ilitist... all spellin is arbitrary, my way is just as good as yourz and you have no rite to impoze yur standarized spelling on mee. i kan spell howevir is chooz and its just as correct as yurz. what gives you or the publishers of webster's dictionary the right to dictate to me how to spell a word. the language belongs to each of us equally and we all have the right to use or literacy to define or own idiom.

I've seen people mispell words like "using" and "square"; the death of grammar is nothing new to me.

I mean, the time it takes for the average person to decipher intangible grammer is far more than the time saved by writing in it!

(Emphasis added)

The only thing worse than the actual abuse of syntax is one who would lament it while committing the same offense.

I'm ribbing Vetalia here (grammar), but I've seen it in forums before -- someone goes off about how smart they are or how stupid someone else is and they do it with atrocious grammar. Personally, I don't see bad grammar or spelling as a character flaw unless the perpetrator is touting their own intelligence or shredding another's.

Besides, you can give credit where it's due for typos by checking how the word is misspelled. If the incorrect letter is a key or two away from the correct one, I call it a typo and shrug it off. There are lots of common typos -- the one I make most often is "teh" instead of "the" because of the talon method of typing I use: two fingers and my right thumb.

But if we're going to discuss errors that drive us nuts, I've gotta go with the whole plural-versus-possessive debacle. I saw a menu the other day that had the word "Entree's" on it. I had to force back the urge to ask the waiter what it was the entree owned..."Entree's" _______? However, the worst offender was at a fruit stand a few years ago. I saw a sign that read like this:

CHERRIE'S

I was stunned -- the person KNEW to change the Y of cherry to an IES for the plural, but then added the bleeding apostrophe. One person even tried to cast their howler in a positive light. On a price board at a theater during intermission, the menu read "sandwiche's". When I brought it to the vendor's attention, she half-smugly replied, "Well, it got your attention, didn't it?" Choking back the urge to throttle her, I calmly replied "I'm a teacher -- ignorance always gets my attention," and walked away.

So yeah, it may be petty, but it's a dying art and it gets on my nerves. It probably shouldn't, but it does. An excellent book on the subject is "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss.

--snip--
i kan spell howevir is chooz and its just as correct as yurz. what gives you or the publishers of webster's dictionary the right to dictate to me how to spell a word. the language belongs to each of us equally and we all have the right to use or literacy to define or own idiom.

Comprehension gives me the right. If I can't understand what you've written, then I am far less likely to even attempt to decipher it and you've lost the ability to communicate your point.

Yes, English is a polyglot, flexible, living and changing language, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to wade through a whole raft of ignorant spelling errors (which take twice as long to read because of cognitive dissonance and deciphering) just to get to a point that attempts to justify making them.

Think of it as mental discipline. Undisciplined and/or creative minds are certainly needed -- Einstein couldn't spell for shit, and neither can most of my brainy friends. But when it comes to communication and intelligibility, that discipline is a must.

It also anoys me how people spell the word definitely wrong. (and that IS the correct spelling, I'm practically a walking dictionary).

Many people spell it definately. It's an I, people!

This is a prime example of how studying word origins, and specifically those from Latin and Greek, can drastically improve both your spelling and vocabulary. I had to remember that definitely was spelled with an I, but now it's automatic because I learned that the base word is "finite" with a prefix and an adverb suffix added. Bank that fact and you'll never misspell it again.

Etymology rules!

Pelase see teh sgitanure for ifonramtoin on msipslelnigs.

As long as all the letter are there, and the first and last letters are in place it is generally readable.

drife my nuds


So what about me?

[QUOTE=Whispering Legs]If I have to read another post that contains gross spelling errors, I'm going to fly to the UK and vomit from the plane.
QUOTE]

Do you know what I really hate. Elitist foreigners who think that only people from England mispell.
:sniper: :mp5: :gundge:

drife my nuds


So what about me?

I always thought you were English. I never would've guessed that it was your second language.

Their are know outright spelling mistakes inn my posts. Maybe aye ewes the wrong words, butt aye have perfect spelling.

This is a prime example of how studying word origins, and specifically those from Latin and Greek, can drastically improve both your spelling and vocabulary. I had to remember that definitely was spelled with an I, but now it's automatic because I learned that the base word is "finite" with a prefix and an adverb suffix added. Bank that fact and you'll never misspell it again.

Etymology rules!

Etymology does rule. Particularly the more bizarre roots of words. Moron is from the greek meaning "mind" and yet it has come to mean "small in mind." To call someone an ass has nothing to do with the word meaning donkey. It is from the latin "assinus" meaning stupid or foolish.

shut youre mouth

where better than you

I hate people that cannot spell. I think that if they speak English then they should be able to write English CORRECTLY.

"where" Where better than you??? Where?

I always thought you were English. I never would've guessed that it was your second language.
Am I that good? Wow.

I just read loads of English..... Come to think of it, I haven't read Dutch literature in years.

Foreign people, particularly people who get exposed to a lot of english language and culture do tend to be a lot better at grammar and spelling simply because they're taught the rules. We should get taught the rules of grammar as well in schools.

Pelase see teh sgitanure for ifonramtoin on msipslelnigs.

As long as all the letter are there, and the first and last letters are in place it is generally readable.

Yeah. I've read a complete newspaper article written like that first sentence. It was talking about that phenomenon. It was scary how true it was - I had absolutely no problems reading it.

Still, folks, if you know the correct spelling, USE IT!

"where" Where better than you??? Where?
"shut youre mouth"

missed that one, huh?

Etymology does rule. Particularly the more bizarre roots of words. Moron is from the greek meaning "mind" and yet it has come to mean "small in mind." To call someone an ass has nothing to do with the word meaning donkey. It is from the latin "assinus" meaning stupid or foolish.

From which we get "asinine" -- and the link to donkeys is there. Their legendary stubbornness was thought to be a reflection of their stupidity.

as·i·nine : adj.

1. Utterly stupid or silly: asinine behavior.
2. Of, relating to, or resembling an ass.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Latin asinnus, of an ass, from asinus, ass.]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
asi·ninely : adv.
asi·nini·ty : n.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

If I have to read another post that contains gross spelling errors, I'm going to fly to the UK and vomit from the plane.

Please, please, please. I'm speaking primarily to those whose first language is English - please work on your spelling.

I'm not concerned about the words I know are different between the UK and the US. I'm concerned about the words that are so badly mangled that I have difficulty deciphering the intent of the author.

Agreed. There is nothing that annoys me more than incorrect grammar and spelling (I realise that my first sentence was a fragment). In fact, if anyone on my region posts in what I call "SMS Speak", I will post an edited version of their post. It is paper over the cracks, I know, but hey, anything to stop the terror that is incorrect spelling.

Am I that good? Wow.

I just read loads of English..... Come to think of it, I haven't read Dutch literature in years.

Yep, you're that good. Guess reading the loads of English helped!

Yep, you're that good. Guess reading the loads of English helped!
:p

It did.... and does.

I personally want to strangle every person who is trying to type "come on" and types "common". I wish I could reach through the computer, wrap my hands around their throats and scream "IT'S TWO WORDS, DAMNIT!"

Maybe that is just me.

I was in a bar at the weekend & there was a sign reading something like:
"No under 18's"
The grafitti (sp?) next to it read "no apostrophe needed"! Thought that was class ;)

ps.am deeply impressed at how bad people can make their spelling when they really really try!

I personally want to strangle every person who is trying to type "come on" and types "common". I wish I could reach through the computer, wrap my hands around their throats and scream "IT'S TWO WORDS DAMNIT!"

Maybe that is just me.
Common, it can't be that bad cannit :D

Common, it can't be that bad cannit :D

Yes, it is that bad. If I am reading a sentence and I see an actual word, it usually means they typed it correctly. However, if you read the sentence:

"You people are idiots! Common man, how can you be so dumb?"

I have to read it three or four times before I realize they are an idiot. I like to know up front they are stupid. I would be OK if they just said upfront, "Hey guys, I'm a fanaking moron!"

By the way: Fanaking is a word I am trying to use more on account you can't cuss when you type anywhere. Try it. You'll like it.

Fanaking?

*tries it out a few times*

I like it! Cheers :)

modern schools do not believe in the systematic teaching of spelling. thats why so many of these kids dont know and dont care how to spell.


The Dutch educational system threw spelling efforts overboard some twenty years ago in favour of (debatably) more interesting things. Flemish schools kept going for old-fashioned correctness. The result is that you hardly find a correctly spelled text generated in the Netherlands anymore, while the Flemish still write passably. Now where is the benefit of having reduced a quasi entire population to partial analfabetics?

If you have the attitude of thinking exclusively on the grand human scale you're right to opine that spelling is just an obsolete flyspeck. Human endeavor mainly goes on on the everyday scale, though. And on the everyday scale correct spelling functions as a calling card relaying first impressions.

I have to read it three or four times before I realize they are an idiot.

Just reading it the one time should be enough ;)

I feel I make few spelling errors. I read some posts with mistakes and its clear that the poster is very young and other times "passionate" and maybe in a rush to hit "submit reply" as quick as they can. To many in here, I understand that English is a second lanquage.
Im in the US. Both of my school age children are far above average in reading/spelling. I attribute a lot of this to my wife and I reading to them starting when they were young infants. The yboth learned to read early-way before their peers. Reading and spelling-grammar too- all go hand in hand. They all become second nature with exposure. We'll see how this works with my young daughter. My 6 year old gets "flash cards" weekly-a dozen or so, to bring home as part of homework. I practice them with him at least once daily. He is well above average and rarely has any difficulty with any of the words. I mix in tough words and he sounds them out with ease.

People who cannot spell drive me nuts.
I gotta wonder as to what they hell those people are doing in your pants, let alone driving your nuts!
How is that possible, btw? Do you have a wee steering wheel down there?

I gotta wonder as to what they hell those people are doing in your pants, let alone driving your nuts!
How is that possible, btw? Do you have a wee steering wheel down there?
Wasn't that a pirate joke?

Wasn't that a pirate joke?
yes

I know what you mean, Whispering Legs, and while English ain't even my first language it just drives me nuts that people don't know better.

So, how good is your language skill?

http://www.blogthings.com/englishcutthemustardquiz/


Mine is:

Grammar: 80%
Punctuation: 80%
Spelling: 80%
Vocabulary: 20%

I know what you mean, Whispering Legs, and while English ain't even my first language it just drives me nuts that people don't know better.

So, how good is your language skill?

http://www.blogthings.com/englishcutthemustardquiz/


Mine is:

Grammar: 80%
Punctuation: 80%
Spelling: 80%
Vocabulary: 20%

Grammar: 80%
Spelling: 60%
Punctuation: 40%
Vocabulary: 20%

Not good, not good at all :(

I'm better at my native language.

Noone.
I hate that one.
I took me a while to figure out what the hell it was supposed to be the first time I saw it.

Your English Skills:
Punctuation: 100%
Vocabulary: 100%
Grammar: 80%
Spelling: 80%

Not too bad, considering my first languages are Texan and Okie. :D

I've seen people mispell words like "using" and "square"; the death of grammar is nothing new to me.

I mean, the time it takes for the average person to decipher intangible grammer is far more than the time saved by writing in it!


<relax just playing along>

1) do you really mean intangible, or were you thinking of another word?

2) my grammer sux, but does one write IN "intangible grammer"

or does one write WITH "intangible grammer"?

That test was easy.

Grammar: 100%
Punctuation: 100%
Spelling: 100%
Vocabulary: 100%


It was fun, though. :D

I know what you mean, Whispering Legs, and while English ain't even my first language it just drives me nuts that people don't know better.

So, how good is your language skill?

http://www.blogthings.com/englishcutthemustardquiz/


Mine is:

Grammar: 80%
Punctuation: 80%
Spelling: 80%
Vocabulary: 20%

80, 80, 80, 60... I wish they'd tell you which ones you supposedly got wrong when it tabulated the scores though. I might want to lodge a protest!

I count 17.

prolythising
evangalism (x2)
comming
wasnt
rearly (x2)
proberbly (lol!)
implyed
religon
vunrable
ammount
morrally
evanglism
morrality
orignal
brimestone

I want to know wtf brimestone is, personally. Fossilized sea monkeys? Frozen salt water?

Its the smell the devil makes when he has eaten too many limes with his mexican food.

<relax just playing along>

1) do you really mean intangible, or were you thinking of another word?

2) my grammer sux, but does one write IN "intangible grammer"

or does one write WITH "intangible grammer"?

FIrst off, it's grammar. And the word intangible means untouchable or ethereal -- unable to be touched because of lack of physical presence or because it's a quality that is immeasurable (like when sportscasters say an athlete has all the "intangibles" like hustle or heart or name your cliche). Hence the name of my nation...you can't go there, it isn't a real place.

So I'd wager that's the wrong word and guess he meant unintelligible, indecipherable, or incoherent -- unless he was talking about untouchable grammar, which is a foreign concept to me.

80, 80, 80, 60... I wish they'd tell you which ones you supposedly got wrong when it tabulated the scores though. I might want to lodge a protest!
100, 100, 80, 80 ... and seriously, I bet the ones they counted as wrong could be argued.

Grammar: 100%
Punctuation: 100%
Vocabulary: 100%
Spelling: 60%

But since I'm dyslexic, that doesn't surprise me. I think I got all the spelling correct, though. *shrug*

And, hey, if I'm dyslexic and can learn to spell, there really is no excuse for anyone who doesn't have problems not learning to spell correctly. It's just a matter of taking care and checking that you got the words right if you're unsure.

I have little issue with words like definitely and definately, misspellings as they are, they can be made without realizing. There are other words where it must be obvious to the writer that they're not sure how to spell.

When I make spelling mistakes, please do point them out, it's the only way I'll fix them.

More annoying are those self-proclaimed "l33t" kids and their completely lame BS attempt of looking cool.

u got pwn3d :D

Grammar: 100%
Punctuation: 100%
Vocabulary: 100%
Spelling: 60%

But since I'm dyslexic, that doesn't surprise me. I think I got all the spelling correct, though. *shrug*

And, hey, if I'm dyslexic and can learn to spell, there really is no excuse for anyone who doesn't have problems not learning to spell correctly. It's just a matter of taking care and checking that you got the words right if you're unsure.

I have little issue with words like definitely and definately, misspellings as they are, they can be made without realizing. There are other words where it must be obvious to the writer that they're not sure how to spell.

When I make spelling mistakes, please do point them out, it's the only way I'll fix them.

Aaarrrrgggghhh!!!