terrible spelling

[Two_Sheds]

As just heard on Radio 2's Big Show: "A new survey conducted by grammar software firm All-in-One English Writing and Grammar Software | Advanced Grammar Checker | Innovative Spell Checker | Comprehensive Dictionary and Thesaurus has shown that most British people do not know how to spell basic everyday words. Some 40 per cent failed to correctly spell ‘questionnaire’, 38 per cent were stumped by ‘accommodate’ and 38 per cent were confused by ‘definitely’.

Half of the respondents claimed that their spelling was of a good standard. More than one in 10 said they did not think it was important to be able to spell and were also not bothered by colleagues’ mistakes.

“There is really no excuse nowadays when there are computer programmes to help check grammar, spelling, punctuation and content,” he added. (ANI)

Personally, I think that poor spelling is (usually) down to people not reading - we get information from television and the computer these days, people don't read for pleasure, and are simply not used to seeing different words or bothering to learn the meaning of differently spelt words, ie there/their/they're, prey/pray, advise/advice and weather/whether. They also get extremely defensive when pulled up on their bad spelling! Disclaimer: I am not talking about dyslexics.
Discuss

[janeyo]

As a teacher I can vouch it is getting worse with each year that comes through.

I do know how to spell and punctuate properly but sometimes my hand goes quicker than my brain and haven't checked it before sending - doh!

Or the fairies come in the night and move the keys around when I am asleep!

janeyo

[Tigerella]

Hi

I would certainly struggle spelling the words you listed, but I dont concider myself average.
I have only ever read one book from cover to cover; I was I a special reading class when I was 10.
And after that most of my grades were above average, but I am still a very poor speller. I do use a spell checker all the time, so I make fewer mistakes than people who just hope for the best.
My outlook express has no spell checker at the moment, so I have to use a word program first; this is without checking.
I have recently bought a thicker dictionary, for things like where and were, and to get better words.

T

[Nicos]

I understand the average reading age of the population is that of a 10 yr old too!
When we were preparing information leaflets for NHS patients we were advised to take that into consideration!
My spelling ability varies from day to day- depends on how tired I am

[piskieinboots]

Separate is another that often stumps people

[allotmentlady]

Nothing wong ith my speling......i am jut fin. lol.....

[rustylady]

I heard very recently from a very reliable source that A level students who'd sent in papers received grades well below those expected. When the school appealed they were told that the marks were down because they now expected answers in ordinary everyday english, and that students were being marked down for using technical terms. The appeal succeeded and the students were given good grades. POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION METHINKS!!! I'm all for giving everyone a chance to prove themselves, but to be marked down because you can use the English language correctly??????????

[Snadger]

There's them that can and them that can't! I fall mid way in between, sometimes I can and..................
Are we to stop people who are dyslexic or semi dyslexic from contributing to forums? We all can't be good spellers! My Son has an A level in English Literature but can't spell for toffee! My other Son has fewer qualifications and at 9 years old was teaching me how to spell archaeologist? (I think I can still remember it!) I reckon you can't turn a bad speller into a good speller no matter how many books they read!
Live and let live is the way I see it...........as long as text talk doesn't become the norm!

For cripes sake we don't want a visit from the spelling police, do we?!

[Bramble Lover]

Ive always prided myself on being a good speller but out of the words in the list...there is only definitely I would say I know without a doubt.

Its all the words with double letters in them that get me and I disagree that it goes on how many books you read.

I have been an avid reader since i was a kid and think it makes no difference to the really difficult words.

To and too misuse really gets me grrrrr

[bluemoon]

I heard very recently from a very reliable source that A level students who'd sent in papers received grades well below those expected. When the school appealed they were told that the marks were down because they now expected answers in ordinary everyday english, and that students were being marked down for using technical terms. The appeal succeeded and the students were given good grades. POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION METHINKS!!! I'm all for giving everyone a chance to prove themselves, but to be marked down because you can use the English language correctly??????????

I can well believe this; when training as a science teacher I was appalled by the first set of marking I was given; "I put some copper sulphate in a tube with some water and then I shook it up" As opposed to; "Using a boiling tube, 2g of copper sulphate was added to 30ml of deionized water and shaken." I was told that these days kids couldn't think beyond the first person and that expecting the weights and measures to be included made things far too technical 'at this stage', even though without them the whole thing was meaningless, - imagine a recipe that doesn't state the quantities of the ingredients and you'll realize that this isn't just me being pedantic. I know of at least one university whose chemistry degree now takes four years instead of three as they have to spend the first year bringing the students up to standard. Presumably all other departments are rapidly finding themselves in the same position and, whatever the subject, most of it stems from the fact that many kids today are barely literate.

I read to my children every day when they were small, it wasn't something I planned, it just seemed natural, but now children's TV is available practically round the clock and I'm certain that many are just dumped in front of it, so much easier than having to actually have some parental input. Unfortunately this means that children simply don't see books as interesting or even as something which is a normal part of everyday life.

A lot of knowing how to spell comes from understanding the way the word has formed. A word I see misspelled a lot is 'tomorrow', you see it with just about every possible combination of double and single Ms and Rs, but anyone doing this is obviously divorcing the word from 'morrow', if they've ever even connected the two.

I have only an average standard of literacy myself, but I read at least three novels a week and if I do spell a word incorrectly then it's usually glaringly obvious to me, reading gives you a feel for it. At a time when reading is becoming so devalued I fear that things are about to become far worse.

[piskieinboots]

....To and too misuse really gets me grrrrr

I never get cross with misuse from others as I wouldn't be able to tell if the person really didn't know the difference or was lazy - if the former then it would be unkind to get cross.

I'm a pretty good speller but where I fall down is lack of attention to detail, I type quickly and press Submit Reply even quicker before I have checked - so I get cross with me.

[Paulottie]

The only word in a spelling test that my seven year old daughter got wrong this term was because my wife told her that 40 was spelled fourty!!! but then she's only 39! Poor little urchin: they are given sweets if they get 10/10 three weeks running and it was week 3!

However, my point is, she is perfectly able to learn them parrot fashion but as soon as she writes anything else it is 'wuns a pon a tim' etc. She reads every night. That is just the way children are but the knowledge is in there. It is very important to encourage your children to read. Television and computers alone are not enough to educate a child ...like a diet without vegetables.

I've got a masters degree but still am surprised/appalled when I use spell check! (partly because of the Americanisms therein) The more I use it -the less able I am to spell. It is rather like calculators. I was raised in a pub(no electronic till) and could tell my Mum the total of the cash and carry trolley as we arrived at the checkout. I couldn't begin to attempt that level of basic arithmetic now. Another example is the mobile phone. I used to remember over a hundred phone numbers now without my address book button It would be nearly impossible for me to ring anyone...quite annoying when the battery goes dead.

Your brain is like any other muscle the more it is exercised the bigger it becomes(no lads not that one!)...and middle age appears to make it flabby too!(well -maybe that one too)

[piskieinboots]

........and could tell my Mum the total of the cash and carry trolley as we arrived at the checkout.....

I do this every time I do the food shop with cash, which is most times - and I can proudly say for a mathematical dyslexic (no kidding here!) I get within a pound or so either way....tis a cracking exercise

[Paulottie]

To and too misuse really gets me grrrrr

That irritates me two

PS. Apostrophe key is sited just to the right of colon/ semi-colon button

[Bramble Lover]

Fair point lololol though I had to scroll back to my post as I wasn't sure what you was getting at initially.

Pure laziness......I hold my hands up.