Is Spelling Overrated?
April 9th, 2008 by Bob Bly
“Spelling is overrated,” said a caller to my favorite NYC morning radio show today. “As long as you get the point across, who cares how it’s spelled?”
The host replied, “Because the point you get across when you misspell words is that you’re stupid.”
One reason for poor spelling is increased reliance on spell-check software, which as we all know, is far from infallible.
The other is texting, where one types “cu” instead of “see you.”
Spelling skills are declining, but do you agree that readers readily accept this decline and are no longer bothered by spelling errors?
Or do you agree with Marilyn vos Savant, arguably one of the world’s smartest people, who says spelling errors “nearly always cause the reader to form a negative view about the writer’s inherent abilities, and they certainly cast an unflattering light on the written piece as a whole.”
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 10:43 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I think these developments actually make spelling MORE desirable as a trait. Since more people are relying on txt speak, someone who can actually spell well is golden.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
No way - spelling is NOT overrated. I agree with Trisha, above, as well as with Marilyn vos Savant.
In fact, one of the reasons I made it to the final cut for my first design job was because my resume and cover letter had only a couple spelling/grammatical errors.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Angie and everyone else, be warned: I’ve met numerous recruiters who tell me they automatically reject a candidate if they find even a single typo on the cover letter or resume. A “couple” of spelling errors is two too many!
April 9th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I don’t understand people like that caller, who have the mentality that spelling is overrated. I mean, surely that is the most BASIC skill to master. We’re taught it from little at school, for crying out loud.
And spelling errors look so unprofessional. I’ve seen lots of businesses whose brochures and other sales material are riddled with errors. Heck, even my college textbooks are!
I don’t think there’s any excuse which justifies not being able to spell properly. Once you’ve completed school, you should have fully mastered it.
That’s just my opinion anyway
PS: Another problem I’ve found is UK and US English spelling. Confusion about the differences between the two can often lead to spelling errors.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I think the host of the radio show said it perfectly.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
My brother and his family live near a middle school. For the entire month of February I had to drive past the school’s roadside board and see what was happening in “Febuary”.
I don’t know when Febuary is. I was amazed, everytime I drove by, that everyone at the middle SCHOOL DID know when Febuary was. Because it never changed.
I agree with Brandon, the radio host summed it up perfectly.
April 10th, 2008 at 7:38 am
I don’t think spelling is overrated, though I don’t automatically think the person who misspells a word is stupid. Careless, maybe, but not stupid. Misspelled words do cause me to question the professionalism of the person or company responsible. I recently received a direct mail package from an eye surgeon for the LASIK vision surgery. The mailing included several misspellings. I tossed it. Why should I trust my vision to someone who can’t “see” misspellings in his own mailer (or course, in all fairness, he might not have actually written it).
Chow!
April 10th, 2008 at 7:59 am
If you misspell words, misplace modifiers, or bury your main point in a thicket of irrelevancies, you make the reader work harder to figure out what you mean. Almost all readers will stop reading before they work that hard.
April 10th, 2008 at 8:20 am
It’s annoying to me that spelling and grammar mistakes are rampant — in fact I just was in Macy’s department store. They misused “it’s” in all their sale signs recently.
And sadly, a recent issue of “The Week” had an article about two buddies who decided to drive across country together correcting the bad spelling and grammar they kept encountering on signs along the way. “Among other editing triumphs, they persuaded a miniature golf-course owner in Texas to change the lettering on a structure from “Davy Jones Locker” to Davey Jone’s Locker.” Of course I knew that wasn’t right either; according to the Random House AND Merriam-Webster’s Dictionaries, it should read “Davy Jones’s Locker.” Oh well.
April 10th, 2008 at 10:04 am
A disinterest in accurate spelling and grammar is part of a larger epidemic among many people to are content to just get by. People don’t seem to take pride in what they do and that includes spelling and written communication.
I realize there are many factors that contribute to this growing trend including a failure to educate and a culture that is always focused on what they’re going to do next and not paying attention to what they’re doing at the moment.
While I don’t believe we should judge people, we all make spelling mistakes from time to time. However, it most certainly does make sense to weigh it as a factor when considering hiring or working with someone.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I can’t say anything that hasn’t been said in favor of spelling things correctly. But I also wonder if there’s not a semi-conscious “misspelling is cool” idea that spills over into our writing. Like by doing things in IM language you’re striking a blow against The Man.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Two signs in my area:
- “You just past the finest” …
- So & So’s “Sterio Discount Center” (also on all forms, receipts, and marketing materials)
I brought the mistakes to the attention of each business owner. Neither cared to change them.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:15 am
PG: I advise people not to point out these spelling errors to business owners. My #1 rule in life is: never give unsolicited advice.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Case in point! I realize now that there were a couple of errors in my previous comment! I had actually pasted the text into a Word doc and run my spellchecker on it because I was rushed. The words themselves are spelled correctly; however, they aren’t the correct words to use. *sigh*
Yes, I agree with Bob on not giving out unsolicited advice. People tend to get bent out of shape about it.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:40 am
As a college instructor who also writes (or am I a writer who also teaches college?) I daily live the frustrations of poor spelling. I don’t honestly know if spelling (and grammar, and the ability to craft an argument, and critical thinking, and…) is getting worse — I mean, whatever we have on hand to read from 30, 60, or 100 years ago is all the best-written and best-spelled stuff! Maybe there’s always been a glut of bad spelling and writing?
What I do know is that writing skills, including spelling, are simply not valued by most of my students. In 5 years of teaching over a thousand students, I’ve had exactly *one* that visited the Writing Center. Which is free. Of course, that student was already a pretty decent writer.
It’s hard to impress on people how crucial writing is to their career, no matter *what* career they’re pursuing. Careless errors don’t make you look stupid, necessarily, but as noted above, they make you look *careless* — and if you’re applying for a job, asking someone to fund your project, or trying to sell something, looking careless *is* stupid!
On the other hand, the fact that so few people pay any attention to developing even basic spelling skills means that those of us who have put in the effort are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. The statement above that “I got a job because I only made a couple typos” is telling; the bar is set pretty low, and still few can jump it.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:58 am
To me, it’s about precision, and what a lack of it implies in the situation at hand about the likely approach of the speller/writer. (After all, a TM is less formal than a resume!)
Here’s something you guys might get a laugh out of - it’s from the web site for a new $89 a night hip-but-budget hotel in NYC. Look at their use of the word “spendthrifty”!
~~~
“The Pod Hotel offers hip, convenient, and personalized accommodations for the stylish and spendthrifty traveler. Formerly the Pickwick Arms, the Hotel is located in the heart of Manhattan’s Midtown East neighborhood, and is New York’s number one choice for visitors on a budget.”
April 12th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Unfortunately (or maybe inevitably) the overall decline in spelling and grammar is going hand-in-hand with the decline in proofreading. The near-instantaneous communication the web and email has made possible has resulted in a general impatience for expressing your every/your any thought. If people took a few moment to read over what they typed just once before sending, they may not catch their spelling errors, but they’d probably discover their missed words and poor sentence construction.
(For daily advertising commentary, see my postings at craigmcnamara.blogspot.com)
April 12th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
“Is Spelling Overrated?”
In the mind of my high school shorthand teacher, proper spelling and punctuation were absolutely critical skills that no aspiring executive secretary or assistant could afford to be without. She drilled us unceasingly on when and where to use words like loose or lose, you’re or your, and it’s or its. I can still hear her explaining, for the ten thousandth time, when you use a semicolon instead of a comma, and why, and where the next comma goes after that.
Sadly, in the middle of my second year of shorthand, she got cancer and died. A substitute teacher was brought in to finish out the year, but she had nowhere near the high standards of our regular teacher. That’s when I learned how important those standards really are.
Every time I use a hyphen to connect two words that are modifying a third (i.e., quick-launch icon), I say a little prayer of remembrance and thanksgiving. I am so blessed to have had a teacher who really cared about passing her standards on to her students.
As for the lackadaisical, anything-goes attitude about spelling and punctuation that seems to be so prevalent today … sigh. It is very sad to see, but I suspect it may be a sign of the times.
Now, Bob says that his #1 rule is never to give unsolicited advice. From where I sit, that makes perfect sense. After all, opinions from experts are supposed to cost money!
Still, I think I will venture to offer some, anyway:
If spelling and punctuation are not your strong points, and if you are producing an important document of some kind upon which your future financial well-being may hinge, then I earnestly advise you to seek out — and pay — a professional editor to put it in tip-top shape for you. Judy Vorfeld’s Editing and Writing Services is where I would recommend you start. If she can’t take your project on at the moment, then she’ll refer you to another professional who can. And an excellent editor is worth his or her weight in gold … trust me!
Regards, Elizabeth …
Great Headlines — Instantly!
P.S. Here’s a testimonial from one of Judy’s satisfied customers:
“So you say that you’re a careful wordsmith, and that you review your work thoroughly. Well, I have news for you: Hidden within your copy are grammatical and typographical time bombs that are just waiting to go off. Such as when an important prospect is visiting your website. Or when a customer is reading your new e-book. With her top-notch editing skills, Judy Vorfeld can help you defuse those nasty bombs before they have a chance to injure your reputation. She’s been doing it for me for years.” — Martha Retallick, WesternSkyCommunications
N.B. Judy’s site also offers an excellent list of online reference works, in case you want to start improving your editing skills on your own.
April 13th, 2008 at 8:02 am
A couple of months ago, I noticed that the new produce store that was about to open near me was called “U Don’t Know Nothing Produce.”
This is not only poor spelling, but seems insulting to their customers.
When I asked the workmen about it, they said it was owned by the same people who operated the “Amish Market” about 10 blocks away. What was wrong with that name, I wonder?
April 14th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Coming in late to say, I agree, spelling is important.
However, I’m much more forgiving of online errors than I used to be. I write all day — not just copy, but emails, reports, blog posts, etc. Typos slip by me. I try to catch them but sometimes I don’t. This doesn’t mean that I don’t care about spelling, only that I’m not perfect.
I’m much less forgiving about grammatical errors and not knowing the difference between “loose” and “lose” or “advice” and “advise.”
April 14th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
DH: My e-mails to my staff are full of typos — I dash them off and never proof them. But I take pains to eliminate typos in e-mails to my clients, and actually hire a professional proofreader to read all my copy before I submit it to my clients … and yes, the occasional error still slips through.
April 14th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
One of my father-in-law’s favorite quotations, “If you can’t think of multiple ways to spell a word you are not very creative.”
The thought alone makes this newspaper publisher cringe.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
YES! Spelling is important. But cut me and the rest of the bad spellers a break. Just try to remember while a lot of you “formaly educated people” take pride in your spelling, us “street smart people” take pride in selling. I personally stink at spelling right now. That’s ok though. I have the drive to succeed and was also able to put more money in my pocket by effectivly getting my message out to the people then learning how to spell. How stupid is that?
Ever hear this one: I would rather have a street smart illiterate drop out and teach him how to spell. Then a lit. Major with perfect spelling who can’t sell. Anyday!
SEE…That was written horribly but you get my point. And I am willing to bet people are nodding there heads as they read this.
I will work on my spelling. It is also not polite to call anyone stupid. When you walk a mile in there shoes maybe then.
HAVE A GRATE DAY
April 15th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Meh. If I didn’t already know you were speaking with your tongue inside of your mouth, I’d never get your point, because I’d have dismissed anything you had to say after encountering the first few spelling errors. I’d presume that a person who couldn’t take the time or care to use correct spelling also couldn’t be trusted to present trustworthy information. It may not be fair, but people make judgments as to your credibility based on the care you take with small things…like spelling. You might be great at sales, but if you send me a sales letter filled with spelling errors—even if it’s for something I’d likely purchase—I’d toss it.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Yup. I agree with you Mike. People will and do judge you on just about anything,it seems, and when you’re talking about a person who desides to make the written word his profession…Judgement seems justifiable.
Here’s an honest question:
Do you think the average Joe who reads advertisements and online sales copy has the same passion for spelling as…lets say a copywriter?
I am working on my spelling and doing the best I can with what I got right now. I have overcame great odds to reach a point so quickly that it blew even my mind.
I am just blowing off steam by being a bit of a wise ass. I have my first full page comming out for a client and my mind is going at mach speed.
I would love to spell great and have perfect grammer. But for right now I’m working with what I have. Besides while i’m learning I have spell check (witch doesn’t help me much here).
There are even people who will proof read and make sure everything I write is written correctly until I can teach myself. “Thank God”
I was thinking about trying -AWAI- to help me get some formal training in copywriting. I know our host would strongly endorse that. Plus I need a mentor and someone had mentioned -AWAI- to me.
I have been getting ETR’s e-zine everyday for a few months now and by following the advice of them as well others including our gracious host who maybe almost hired me to write an article about how I turbo charged my profits on ebay once. I have been able to make money.
That being said I would like to further my Knowlage of speling and everthing else I need to know to make a more productive and worthwhile run at this.
By the way I’d presume that a person who couldn’t hear or someone who was blind would suck at playing the piano.
Think about that.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Today’s update: sign in the bagel store across the street from my office advertising a new breakfast special: a bagel with “ham and chedar.”
April 19th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I am piping in late on the spelling issue but have an interesting comment to share. I read Kevin Hogan’s weekly ezine “Coffee with Kevin Hogan”. I can’t express how much quality and unique content he shares each week. The guys a master marketer.
Anyway, one week he shared that he places misspelled words in his email every now and then because his readers reach out to him and he makes a connection. His readers are trying to help him. It makes him more human and personable.
I thought that was awesome. Now you know…when there is a mistake or two in my ezine I always share that story — my “typos” are there so I can connect with readers and not seem like a “cold corporation”.
Work for clients is always checked over by a proofreader. That’s a very different story. These companies should without question spend more time and energy on their spelling.
Kelly Robbins
April 21st, 2008 at 3:24 pm
KR: I suspect Mr. Hogan may be kidding you. It is a time-honored technique to tell readers you deliberately put in typos so they can enjoy finding them. By doing so, your typos and other errors appear deliberate, and no one can fault you for them.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:58 pm
“One reason for poor spelling is increased reliance on spell-check software, which as we all know, is far from infallible.”
Um, how do we know?
Some of the examples in these comments are from signs in windows. Were they hand-written? If so, the author’s won’t have used a spell-checker. If they printed, then the spell-checker won’t be at fault - “chedar” won’t have passed.
“Spelling skills are declining.” Again, where’s the proof? My suspicion is that with the rise of online messaging (blogs, social network profiles, instant messaging, emails etc) we simply have more opportunities to see people’s writing. I’m happy to be proven wrong, but I want cold, hard facts.
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Of course spelling matters. And of course incorrect spelling may cause a reader to question a “writer’s inherent abilities.” So does incorrect word use. For example, if a writer says he would have taken a different “tact” — meaning an approach, let’s say in writing a radio spot on renter’s insurance — some may stop to ask themselves if his one-letter mistake is a misspelling, a typo or a misuse from not knowing the correct word is “tack.” What do you think?
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:48 am
A bit late I know, but thought you guys in the U.S.A (who have some odd spellings anyway)would enjoy the following, which was emailed to me yesterday:
“The European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, Her majesty’s Goverbment conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as Euro-English (Euro for short). In the first year ’s’ will be used instead of the soft ‘c’. Sertainly sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard ‘c’ will be replased with ‘k’. Not only will this klear up konfusion, but keyboards kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome ‘ph’ wil be replased by ‘f’. This will make words like ‘fotograph’ 20 per sent 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 encourage the removal of double letters, which have aways ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent ‘e’s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.
By the fourth year, peopl wil be resptiv to steps such as replasing ‘th’ by ‘z’ and ‘w’ by ‘v’. During ze fifz year, ze unesesary ‘o’ can be dropd from vords kontaining ‘ou’, and similar changed vud of kors, be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.
After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil b no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru.”
May 20th, 2008 at 4:26 am
You can make money, bed women, become the leader of a powerful nation and still have bad grammer and spelling.
People seem to miss the salient point that they are not in the “dictionary” business, they are in the “communication” business.
Yes of course bad grammar and spelling can hinder communication, but there is line then when crossed turns you from a person trying to communicate as effectively as possible to a weirdo grammar nazi who misses the subtle yet important cultural elements of communication.