Me and thee and spell check
Melody | Monday, 24 September, 2007 at 5:47 AM Lately I've watched, on numerous occasions, as a friend and colleague clicks on spell check at the end of her writing projects. Although spell check is highly recommended and using it a fairly standard practice, I must admit that each time I see her use it, I'm a little surprised. The surprise comes because of my own mental association with our shared writing skills. Although I'm not saying I write as well as she does, I will say that we both write rather a lot and we both do it better than, well, let's say our "non-writerly counterparts."
Meanwhile, I'm a good speller. It's just a fact. I can spell nearly any standard word you throw at me, without much of a struggle at all. And so the whole spell check phenomenon never really caught on with me. It just didn't seem necessary. Although in the light of day, admitting this "out loud," as it were, that sounds stupid.
Yesterday I discovered the error of my ways. It's not necessary because I can't spell that I discovered how much I need to be using spell check. My thinking was all wrong. It's necessary because I type fast and sometimes I also type sloppily and while being distracted by other surrounding activities. A great number of distractions. Having just written a document, I discovered that, while checking the end result of something I'd read several times already, that I misspelled Three Common Words I Completely Know How To Spell. THREE!!! Not only did I misspell them, but I also didn't realize they were spelled wrong when I read through the document. All those times.
Which, of course, most of you have known all along: that spell check isn't just there for those who can't spell, but also for my people - We Of The Easily Distracted And Dyslexic Flying Fingers.
So from now on I'm going to be using spell check on a more frequent basis. When I remember, that is. (They tell me it takes a while to create new habits.)
No doubt my readers will be appreciative.
Reader Comments (6)
As far as I am concerned (not that you asked me) spell check is a gift of the gods - right up there with fire!
I know lots and lots of words and can correctly spell very few of them. I can barely spell my name! When I was younger (way before the days of computers and/or spell check) I would ask a seemingly knowledgeable adult how to spell a word. "Sound it out" was a frequent response. Okay. Though - there's a good one. Or "yet". What does that resemble? As if!
My second favorite answer to "how do you spell..." was "look it up." Yeah - if I could spell it I could look it up!! Where is the disconnect here? With you or me??
I blame Samuel Johnson for my troubles. Before he decided to write his first ever dictionary, people went merrily along spelling words however they wanted. Works for me!
If only I could find an ink pen that had spell check built in. Then I'd be set for life!
You're great about using spell check. Since writing this it's occurred to me just how ludicrous it is that I've come this far without using it more often than I have.
LOVE your idea about spell check built into pens. You know one day somebody really will invent that, don't you? All it'd take would be a little old computer chip with components I can't even conceive of. But still...anything seems feasible in this day of technology.
Funny about those childhood stories. I used to hear (and think) similar things.
Misspelling a word is one of my greatest fears if what I've written is going to be posted for all the world to see. I'm afraid that everyone will be able to determine my IQ. Plus I think I may have spelled the first word in this post incorrectly. Did I?
Nope...I don't believe you did! Recent evidence suggests I haven't been nearly worried enough about that very fear. Took me long enough to notice, eh? :)
Hey, thanks for the post! I was googling this because I wrote on the same topic (http://is.gd/jXH5) and then I found you. Keep up the good work!
I'm shoked! I see in google.com
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