Spelling

Around the year 1440, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. With that marvelous invention came the standardization of spelling in a written language. Prior to the press, each person would write as he spoke. People from another region of the country would not be able to understand the written form from another area because they didn't know the local script. With books now being able to be widely distributed, spelling in a particular language because standard and people from all different dialects were able to read a book or article, no matter the origin of the author.

With that bit of history in mind, it seems that, today, we are regressing to the days before the printing press. It absolutely drives me insane. People spell anyway they want. Schools teach "whole word" spelling. How about teaching and expecting the proper way to spell? I know that English spelling can be crazy at times. Partly because of the original standardization when words were pronounced differently and partly because of the propensity of the English language to borrow words from another language without changing to a more English-like spelling, spelling can be a challenge.

But all in all, spelling should be a priority in today's world, especially when there is a "spell check" at every turn. No one should have to scratch their head over a word or get some other meaning to a sentence because the writer failed to spell properly. Language is a form of communication. If the written form is not spelled correctly, then the idea trying to be communicated is lost and the exercise was for naught.

I will leave you with several recent, personal encounters with misspelled words from my work. These are not just one time occurrences, but an everyday repeat of the same misspelling. The intended word will appear beside each one. Now mind you, the words used in my line of work are nothing like sphygmomanometer or syzygy...

Toyoda (Toyota)
dudy (duty)
Jinna (Gina)
Hoza' (José)
Detoisa (Desoto)
Crig (Craig)
Jammie (Jamie)
Carrbarrow (Carrboro, NC)
Tory (Troy)
angle (angel)
Jone (Joan)
Susiki (Suzuki)
Darwin (Darren)
Cala' (Carla)
litter (liter)
Earnie (Ernie)