Comment #1

TigerAngel — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:57:27 GMT

Thanx for posting this. Some of these I wrote and posted over my writers desk years ago. I should print this out!!

Original Blog Entry: Eight Spelling Mistakes Even Smart People Make

truesee — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:19:58 GMT

Eight Spelling Mistakes Even Smart People Make

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DivineCaroline

English is a screwy language. There s just no logic to it. Why is daughter pronounced daw-ter, but laughter not law-ter? How can though, through, and tough look so similar and yet sound so different? Why does I come before E except after C? What s so effing SPECIAL about C?

This is the reason that people who speak more sensible languages approach English with stumbling trepidation. English is insane. It has the capacity to confuse even the smartest of its native speakers including scientists, engineers, and company presidents especially when it has to be put down on paper.

This I know from experience. As a copywriter, a large part of my job is to translate pages upon pages of writing written by non-writers into copy that is short, persuasive, easy-to-read, and yes perfectly spelt and grammatically (or at least colloquially) correct.

Nobody knows the troubles I ve seen.

For the most part, each person is unique in terms of writing disability (myself included). But there are some crimes of confusion particularly when it comes to spelling that I come across on an almost daily basis. And like overstaying guests, they ve begun to grate on my nerves, becoming more and more unforgivable with each unwelcome appearance. Things like:

1. YOU RE and YOUR

If you have no idea when to use which Well, you re not on your own. This is perhaps the most common mistake of all. Heaven knows why. The distinction is really quite simple:

You re is used to substitute the words you are. Your is a word you use when referring to something that belongs to the person you re speaking to. Your purse, your coat, and so on and not Your late! or Your wrong!

2. IT S and ITS

Close cousins of you re and your, it s and its suffer about the same amount of misuse. It s (with an apostrophe) replaces It is or It has. (It s easy to remember!) Its (with no apostrophe) refers to something that belongs to it. (Its meaning is clear!)

3. THEY RE, THEIR, and THERE

Ah, the triple treat or terror, as the case may be.

They re is short for They are. Their refers to something that belongs to them. And there is simply not here.

They re going to their house, which is over there.

4. TO and TOO

When you mean overly, please remember to add the extra O or face the consequences. I once received a heated text message that was meant to make me angry: TO BAD! it shouted in loud, aggressive capitals. I ended up in uncontrollable giggles instead. Too bad indeed.

5. LOOSE and LOSE

This one really drives me batty. And when I lose my mind, I often let loose a string of expletives. When what you want to say is the opposite of find, then lose the extra O. Loose (with two o s) is the opposite of tight.

Like I said, these little confusions are pretty common. They don t actually bother me half as much as the non-words I often find littering notes, emails even official business memos. Words like:

6. IRREGARDLESS

Hundreds of people use this word (often with passion!), both in speech and writing, everyday but the truth is, it doesn t exist! The real word is regardless.

7. ALOT

Anyone who insists this is a word is spouting ALOT of baloney. If you ve ever written this non-word, what you probably meant was either a lot (meaning many ) or allot (to ration or allocate).

8. AHOLD

Boy, would I love to get a hold (two words, not one) of the person who decided to just forget the space and make up ahold new word.

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