Spelling and Grammar

One of my pet peeves is receiving a document, email or any other written message that contains several misspelled or misused words. By misused, I refer to use of ‘then’ where ‘than’ is appropriate, or ‘there’ instead of ‘their’.

Most word processors, and even email servers, have a ‘Tools’ button on the taskbar that will allow for a spelling check prior to ending documents or messages. Some even have the option to have automatic spellcheck and corrections made while you type. They usually will suggest grammatical corrections, too.

Why don’t people use these tools?

One reason is that the bloggers of the world have established that it’s kewl (that is how they spell ‘cool’ in their new language, leetspeak) to shorten or abbreviate words. If the word leetspeak confuses you, it is derived from the word ‘elite,’ which translates to the best or most chic. (And ‘chic’ is not pronounced like a baby chicken, but rather like an Arabian Sheik)

Leetspeak also contains all those abbreviations you see, like ‘LOL,’ ‘IHMO’ and ‘ROF.’ Those in turn were invented to enable quick texting, which is done using the thumbs only. Of course, leetspeak and texting do not and will not ever lend themselves to spelling checks, since most words are either abbreviated or misspelled anyway.

The whole world is going dumb with the expansion of the neo-language ‘phr33ks.” Oh yes, it even combines letters and numbers to make it way kewl. (The correct word is freaks, by the way)

Well, now there is an email message floating out there in cyberspace that promotes the deliberate misspelling of about ninety-nine percent of all words. It consists of a paragraph written with only the first and last letters of the words in the correct place. Everything in between is scrambled. The only words that it can’t be done with are those that have less than four letters in them, for obvious reasons.

The point of the message is that our brains have the ability to unscramble letters to read the words so long as the first and last letters are correct. It actually works! At least, for me it works.

Given that this is the case, and the conclusion—right or wrong—of the message is that spelling isn’t all that important, I’ve dciedid to chgnae the splelnig of msot of my lneogr wrods and let erevynoe esle mkae the spllenig corcetins thmeslevs.

Jsut to gvie you smoe prastcie, i’m gonig to wrtie the rset of thsi clomun wtih all wrods mesplied. Ins’t taht anoynig?

Okay, lesson over... Please at least use your spellchecker, and if your word processor has one, your grammar checker. Dammit, spelling and grammar ARE important!