Tag Archives: spell checker
Dec 31st , 2012
Monday Mistakes – Famous Spelling Fails of 2012!
2012 is almost over! We’ve taken the time to check some very funny spelling fails this year. 1. A Better AMERCIA Our runner-up in this list features the runner-up in the American presidential elections Mitt Romney. During his campaign, Romney had … Continue reading
Posted in Archive | Tagged english spelling, spell checker, spelling
Dec 19th , 2012
3 Ways to Avoid The Worst Email Mistakes
We have all experienced the embarrassing feeling right after we sent an email and realize that we have misspelled a simple word, forgot to upload an attachment, accidently CC’d the recipients rather than using BCC or done anything else to … Continue reading
Posted in Archive | Tagged business writing, email, English Writing, Grammar, spell checker
Jan 17th , 2011
Why is it Spelled that Way?
The invention of the automatic spell checker was no accident. Learning how to spell correctly in English can be a challenging process. Whereas in other languages, words are often spelled more or less like they sound, in English words are often spelled in ways that seem to have little in common with how they are pronounced.
Instead of learning a set of basic rules and applying them universally, students must deal with a variety of exceptions and linguistic idiosyncrasies which can often seem daunting.
Why, for example, are “hare” and “hair” spelled differently but pronounced the same? How is it that “food” and “good” are both spelled with a double “o,” yet are pronounced differently? What is the difference between “thorough” and “through,” and why do neither sound anything like “tough”? Why do words like “diaphragm” and “psychologist” contain letters that are not pronounced at all? And what about the spelling of words which were adopted from foreign languages, and do not obey any of the familiar rules of English spelling?
Fortunately, there are many online resources available to help students spell correctly. For those who learn through memorization, there are several different lists of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language. For kids and those who seek fun ways to learn, there are many games, online and otherwise, that are designed to help students improve their spelling.
When it comes to writing, the spell corrector is an invaluable tool. By allowing the student to write freely, focusing on content without being overly concerned about how he or she spells each and every word, automatic spell checkers facilitate easier writing for native and non-native speakers alike. As a tool for learning, spell correctors also offer advantages, such as immediate feedback and instant self-correction.
One educational tool for learning and improving spelling abilities is dictation. By transcribing a dictated text, a student’s listening comprehension can be evaluated, as well as his ability to understand grammar constructs. The old fashioned technique of sounding out words – breaking down words into individual syllables – can help, along with the teaching of prefixes and suffixes.
For any student of the English language, spelling is an essential part of mastering the new tongue. While it can be challenging, spelling is easy to learn if you know how, and many tools are available to help students out.
Posted in Spelling | Tagged spell, spell checker, spelling