Can You Read This? 55% of People Can

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of reading jumbled text, specifically a claim that only 55% of people can read such text effectively. Participants explore their personal experiences with reading scrambled words, the implications for literacy and spelling, and the cognitive processes involved in reading.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report being able to read jumbled text as quickly as normal text, suggesting a unique cognitive ability.
  • Others express skepticism about the 55% claim, arguing that many English speakers should be able to read it based on their experiences.
  • A participant notes that the phenomenon may not hold for more complex or "proper" literature, indicating a limit to the jumbled text's readability.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of this phenomenon on spelling and literacy education, referencing the "whole language" approach.
  • Some participants mention that stress or nervousness can affect their reading speed and comprehension, suggesting variability in reading performance under different conditions.
  • One participant humorously notes their experience with translating complex texts, implying that familiarity with challenging material may influence their reading of jumbled words.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the validity of the 55% claim or the implications of the jumbled text phenomenon. Multiple competing views remain regarding the effects of spelling on reading comprehension and the cognitive processes involved.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the accuracy of the 55% statistic and its relevance to broader literacy discussions. The conversation reflects a mix of personal anecdotes and theoretical considerations without resolving the underlying questions.

daveb
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fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55% of plepoe can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

I don't know if the 55% is true or not, but it certainly is interesting to note that I could pretty much read it as fast as I read normal text.
 
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I've seen this a couple of time already, but this is the first time I've seen the "55%" part. Speakers in front of an audience of teachers keep bringing this thing up to make anyone of dozen points. I think that this phenomenon is true for anyone who reads beyond "elementary" levels. Try "translating" a paragraph from "proper" literature and you will see how it stops working pretty quickly.

It was studies like this that brought about the "whole language" fiasco creating half a generation that cannot spell.

Spelling (that is, "phonics") is still important since many words have the same first and last letters. As with most things, people operate in a balance between these two camps (sort of an equilibrium between order and entropy--linguists have borrowed some of our words).
 
Yeah that's really weird man...
Usually with jumbled words it takes me a while to get the actual word, but that read like normal text for some reason.
Interesting though :)
 
I could actually read it faster than I normally read. The mess forces you to mentally step back and not concentrate so much on each letter.

There's a certain process people go through learning to read, but one of the reasons their reading speed tops out so low is that it's hard to break those habits that helped you learn even after those habits aren't necessary any more.
 
I'd say the grammar (in the OP's text) is worse than the spelling.
 
55% sounds quite low to me...I mean if someone with my poor english skills can read it, I'd guess most english speakers should be able to do it too...
 
I could read it at least as fast as normal text; but then, I'm used to translating Hypatia. :biggrin:
 
When i get nervous i tend to read things more slowly for some reason...think my brain slows down, and i start focusing on the spelling, and the structure of the word, maybe when I am nervous i need to focus on something to calm down...anyway try reading that sentence when your nervous/under stress maybe? it'll be interesting to see if there's any difference.
 
daveb said:
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55% of plepoe can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

I don't know if the 55% is true or not, but it certainly is interesting to note that I could pretty much read it as fast as I read normal text.

I don't get it why shouldn't I be able to read English? I could yesterday:wink:
 

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