Common spelling mistakes -- for the fun of it.

[RealRam]

Although proper spelling is certainly not a "requisite" and it may not necessarily improve the QUALITY of the CLAN, the opposite, bad orthography [i.e., spelling as a subject or science], may contribute a negative effect.

Clan Moderators do not look for this, of course. And that is fair and good -- even though we do have a spelling checker. It is an open forum. But I believe that a post is not only its content, but its image, an image that may enhance or deteriorate the overall QUALITY of our CLAN. I'm not talking about typographical errors; those are mainly accidental.

One of the ways I learn a different language is by paying close attention to the spelling of the vocabulary. It is a good linguistic tool (I still have other people find my errors when I don't myself). That has helped me considerably in learning English.


For the fun of it, following are some common spelling mistakes observed in casual English writing. They are NOT mentioned here for the sake of criticism, rather as an observation that hopefully, will help us learn and/or exercise the nuances of written communication in and outside of this forum:


CORRECT / INCORRECT

believe / beleive
receive / recieve ... Kevin Curtis is a fine receiver.
then / than (or vice versa)
effect / affect (or vice versa)
there / their (or vice versa) / they're
are / our (or vice versa)
lose / loose (or vice versa)


Do all NFL players spell correctly? Yeah, right!
But as everyone else ought to, they should get their spelling checked when they write a Resume! It is common courtesy and respect for the reader.

Please feel free to add correct / incorrect terminolgy. Thanks.

[bigredman]

Probably the most common error is your vs you're.

I'm very impressed with anyone who can learn foreign languages. I'm linguistically challenged. My brain simply will not comprehend it. I can barely order food at Taco Bell. Hats off to you RealRam.
:up:

[RealRam]

Thank you, BigRed. You're right on your words selection that often are misused.

Another one: to / too, and sometimes even 'two'.

[ramsbruce]

Many people spell definitely wrong. example: "definately" is incorrect.

[evil disco man]

"Stephen" instead of Steven Jackson.

[MOM]

In my best redneck....

It ain't "ya'll", it is "y'all"

[rawkhrdr]

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I can't stand it. Even when I am texting, I must spell it correctly.

My biggest ones (when used in the wrong context):
pitcher/picture
where/were
lead/led
gotten
supposedly/supposably
having/halfening

I hate it when a word is pronounced wrong. Not that I am an English major by any means. Nor am I all that great at grammar. I just think that the way you speak is a reflection of yourself...so you should do it well.

[RamsFanSam]

Originally Posted by rawkhrdr

I hate it when a word is pronounced wrong. Not that I am an English major by any means. Nor am I all that great at grammar. I just think that the way you speak is a reflection of yourself...so you should do it well.

I am the type who prefers to write as eloquently as possible, but my speech makes me sound like a mixture of Jethro Bodine and Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. I believe it is due to the "speak to your audience in their own language" syndrome.

Now...if I could just learn to spell vynil. Or, is that vinyl?

[RamWraith]

As you all may know spelling does not come easy for me. I have to work at it really hard it, and spend a lot of time making letters grammatically correct. I do not have that kind of time here to do that. As a former educator I can appreciate all your great concerns for good writing and correct spelling. However, you need to understand that for some people there is no quick fix. It is just an area of struggles and people can not grab all the concepts.

I am a college educated person and have 2 degrees, one in Criminal Justice the other in Education. I graduated with a respectable 3.4 average. Spelling is just not an easy thing for me. Trust me, I spent MANY NIGHTS trying to re-learn it. It is not to say I can't do it. It just takes me a really long time to get everything right. Over the years I have come to except the fact that I am not perfect and will not waste time to be what I am not.

I know there are a lot of lurkers out there that do NOT post in this forum in fears that they may be called out for getting your and you're or recieved and received messed up. There are bigger fish in this world to fry than a few spelling errors. I will be the last person to get my undies in a bunch because someone may have a sort of learning disability.

[UtterBlitz]

Originally Posted by Evil Disco Man

"Stephen" instead of Steven Jackson.

How very evil of you disco.
I had to fight for any computer time at the beach since the video games are so popular with the kids and my brother. I did not look up the spelling of his name.

I accept the fact that I am a terrible speller and I never going to change that. I do take the time to look up words at times if I am uncertain of their meanings, and I cut and paste my posts into word for a quick spell check most of the time. Sometimes I am lazy and I post quickly with mistakes.

The spell checker is not going to catch real words that are used in an incorrect manner.

[txramsfan]

Spelling can be tough when typing on a forum sometimes. I tend to think about what I'm trying to say instead of being grammatically correct most of the time. However, one thing I have noticed is that people tend to speak the same way they type.

[RealRam]

Excellent arguments, Wraith, UtterBlitz and TX (last three posts).

Some people are gifted in this respect of grammar / spelling, others are not; their talents are in other areas. And I agree, sometimes it is simply preferable to type or write something at the risk of leaving a couple of misspelled words or three, than not writing anything at all only because there is no time to look up the dictionary or fiddle with a spell checker.

Yes, some of those many visitors we often have hovering here may hesitate to post due to spelling insecurity. That's up to each individual. I usually take longer to write my posts because I know I must be careful, for '...I tend to think about what I'm trying to say instead of being grammatically correct' while typing, as TX just mentioned.

Not everyone is a Spelling Bee or a Grammar Nerdee. Very few are, in fact. It is either a talent or an acquired skill. Bad spelling, no ... make that horrible spelling seems to be more prevalent nowadays. That is what gets to me, the total disregard, the, "I-don't-give-a-hoot-about-it" attitude.

I don't think one needs to be professionally versed in the tedious, endless grammatical rules of the language in order to express oneself. By the same token, to some people out there (or in house), terrible spelling could be a "pet peeve". Eeeeeee!

But if we can have fun with it, the least we can end up is learning / exercising our written, or even verbal, language.

vendor Vs. vender.

[evil disco man]

Originally Posted by UtterBlitz

How very evil of you disco.

That wasn't meant to be an 'evil disco' comment [I don't know why I bother using that adjective when I made it up myself and am probably the only one that gets it] - I don't recall you misspelling [<--another word that ironically belongs on this thread's list] Steven's name in particular, it's just that it's been everywhere, and I guess that's what gets to me. Bad spelling isn't really a pet peeve of mine, it's just something I easily notice and have a good laugh at every now and then.

I've seen 'Stephen' used even in Internet articles and by hundreds of Rams fans. The thing I've never understood about it is that 'Steven' is a much more common name, or spelling of the name, so you'd think it'd be easier to remember. Maybe it's just me, but I'm the only person I know whose name includes the 'Stephen'. Maybe it's because 'Stephen Jackson' just looks better written out? He should change his name - it looks much more professional.

Really though, who cares? And if I realize that, why did I bother typing two paragraphs about it? Maybe that's the question I should really search my soul for.

Other Ram names past and present that have gotten to me:

•Curt Warner [the 'C' version being a former Ram and to be remembered in his own right, not to be mistaken for another] - this was fixed in general over time with Kurt's publicity, though.

•Grant Winstrom

•Mark Bulger - again, generally fixed with Bulger becoming a well-known QB.

•Todd Light

•Isaac Holt - another former NFL player who should be respected and remembered in his own right instead of being a laughable mistake for either Torry or Bruce.

•Brandon Manu[insert mumbo-jumbo here]maleuna - okay, that doesn't really get to me, it's a tough one, but still very common.

I'm sure there are many, many more out there.

[RealRam]

True, EDM. I've also seen an almost sacrilegious Merlin Olsin! :O

Some names, due to their natural "extraterritorial" origin (sometimes seemingly 'extraterrestrial'), are just downright difficult! We saw some of those strange -- that is, strange to some of us -- Ram-a-names in AlphaRam's thread about surnames that we relate to.


Yes, it is tough to remember how to write our former DT's name, Nate Hobgood-Chittick or, of more recent acquisition, FS Oshiomogho Atogwe or QB Frerotte.


Hey, how about a test? I found this one in the Internet. I'll post the correct words in blue later.

BTW, most of the 'correct' words here are legit but there are a few that are debatable. In fact, there is one word in this list that is actually correct both ways -- see if you can find it. Clue: first two syllables match a new, big box office movie title.

You might want to copy and paste the list and underline your answers for CORRECT spelling.

Ready?

1. annoint / anoint

2. coolly / cooly

3. supersede / supercede

4. irresistible / irresistable

5. developement / development

6. alright / all right

7. seperate / separate

8. tyranny / tyrrany

9. harrass / harass

10. desiccate / dessicate

11. indispensable / indispensible

12. recieve / receive

13. pursue / persue

14. reccomend / recommend

15. desperate / desparate

16. liquify / liquefy

17. seize / sieze

18. cemetary / cemetery

19. subpoena / subpena

20. definately / definitely

21. ocassion / occasion

22. consensus / concensus

23. inadvertant / inadvertent

24. minuscule / miniscule

25. judgment / judgement

26. inoculate / innoculate

27. drunkenness / drunkeness

28. occurence / occurrence

29. dissipate / disippate

30. weird / wierd

31. alot / a lot

32. accomodate / accommodate

33. embarrassment / embarassment

34. ecstacy / ecstasy

35. repetition / repitition

36. battalion / batallion

37. despair / dispair

38. irritable / irritible

39. accidently / accidentally

40. liaison / liason

41. memento / momento

42. brocolli / broccoli

43. millennium / millenium

44. yeild / yield

45. existence / existance

46. independent / independant

47. sacreligious / sacrilegious

48. insistent / insistant

49. excede / exceed

50. privilege / priviledge


PS: I noticed I had mispelled the word misspelled thanks to you, Jake.

[KentuckyHawk]

Funny you should bring this up. I have a college degree in English so misspellings and bad grammar are huge pet peeves of mine. Anyway, I saw this from the Associated Press today:

When "say," "they" and "weigh" rhyme, but "bomb," "comb" and "tomb" don't, wuudn't it maek mor sens to spel wurdz the wae thae sound?

Those in favor of simplified spelling say children would learn faster and illiteracy rates would drop. Opponents say a new system would make spelling even more confusing.

Eether wae, the consept has yet to capcher th publix imajinaeshun.

It's been 100 years since Andrew Carnegie helped create the Simplified Spelling Board to promote a retooling of written English and President Theodore Roosevelt tried to force the government to use simplified spelling in its publications. But advocates aren't giving up.

They even picket the national spelling bee finals, held every year in Washington, costumed as bumble bees and hoisting signs that say "Enuf is enuf but enough is too much" or "I'm thru with through."

Thae sae th bee selebraets th ability of a fue stoodents to master a dificult sistem that stumps meny utherz hoo cuud do just as wel if speling were simpler.

"It's a very difficult thing to get something accepted like this," says Alan Mole, president of the American Literacy Council, which favors an end to "illogical spelling." The group says English has 42 sounds spelled in a bewildering 400 ways.

Americans doen't aulwaez go for whut's eezy _ witnes th faeluer of th metric sistem to cach on. But propoenents of simpler speling noet that a smatering of aulterd spelingz hav maed th leep into evrydae ues.

Doughnut also is donut; colour, honour and labour long ago lost the British "u" and the similarly derived theatre and centre have been replaced by the easier-to-sound-out theater and center.

"The kinds of progress that we're seeing are that someone will spell night 'nite' and someone will spell through 'thru,'" Mole said. "We try to show where these spellings are used and to show dictionary makers that they are used so they will include them as alternate spellings."

"Great changes have been made in the past. Systems can change," a hopeful Mole said.

Lurning English reqierz roet memory rather than lojic, he sed.

In languages with phonetically spelled words, like German or Spanish, children learn to spell in weeks instead of months or years as is sometimes the case with English, Mole said.

But education professor Donald Bear said to simplify spelling would probably make it more difficult because words get meaning from their prefixes, suffixes and roots.

"Students come to understand how meaning is preserved in the way words are spelled," said Bear, director of the E.L. Cord Foundation Center for Learning and Literacy at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Th ****ry's larjest teecherz uennyon, wuns a suporter, aulso objects.

Michael Marks, a member of the National Education Association's executive committee, said learning would be disrupted if children had to switch to a different spelling system. "It may be more trouble than it's worth," said Marks, a debate and theater teacher at Hattiesburg High School in Mississippi.

E-mail and text messages are exerting a similar tug on the language, sharing some elements with the simplified spelling movement while differing in other ways. Electronic communications stress shortcuts like "u" more than phonetics. Simplified spelling is not always shorter than regular spelling _ sistem instead of system, hoep instead of hope.

Carnegie tried to moov thingz along in 1906 when he helpt establish and fund th speling bord. He aulso uezd simplified speling in his correspondens, and askt enywun hoo reported to him to do the saem.

A filanthropist, he becaem pashunet about th ishoo after speeking with Melvil Dewey, a speling reform activist and Dewey Desimal sistem inventor hoo simplified his furst naem bi droping "le&quo