Words that you tend to misspel mispell misspell

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Discussion Overview

This thread discusses common spelling mistakes and challenges faced by participants, exploring personal experiences with misspelling various words. The scope includes informal reflections on spelling difficulties, typographical errors, and the impact of cognitive factors on writing accuracy.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express frustration with specific words they frequently misspell, such as "devastation," "diarrhoea," and "ridiculous."
  • Others mention issues with typing errors and the tendency to drop words, attributing this to distractions or vision problems.
  • Several participants highlight confusion with spelling rules, particularly the "i before e, except after c" guideline and its exceptions.
  • Some share personal strategies for remembering difficult spellings, such as breaking words into parts or using mnemonic devices.
  • There are mentions of grammatical errors occurring alongside spelling mistakes, often linked to the editing process.
  • A few participants joke about the absurdities of English spelling and the challenges it presents.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share similar experiences of struggling with spelling but do not reach a consensus on specific solutions or the effectiveness of spellcheck tools. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approaches to overcoming these challenges.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include varying personal experiences with spelling and the subjective nature of what constitutes a common misspelling. Some participants express uncertainty about their cognitive processes while writing, which may affect their spelling accuracy.

Ivan Seeking
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Ugh, I just realized that I've been spelling devastation as devestation. :rolleyes: And the worst of it is that I was doing this on purpose!

Other times, it seems like my fingers have a mind of their own. I often fire off a post while thinking it correctly, and seemingly seeing it correctly, but not typing it correctly. I look back later and wonder who the heck typed that! I know part of the problem is that I need to have my eyes checked. I may need more than reading glasses.

A lot of words seem to get dropped as well. At the time I thought they were there, but upon viewing later I find holes in my sentences.

Maybe it's mainly a vision thing, not sure. Late edits can contribute to the dropped words problem, and I do a lot of that as I think things through a little more.
 
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I nearly always leave the e, off of before. I'm not sure why. I know I have many common type-o's and short cuts, like suposta. But the e..eludes me.
 
Can't spell diarrhoea. I think I've just got it right for the first time ever. My main problem at the moment isn't spelling though. It's hitting the right keys in the right order. Getting old.
 
I usually botch words that end in -uous like "continuous" the 'u' and 'o' get repeated and swapped.
 
Oh, and there's the exceptions to the "i before e, except after c" rule, can't think of one, but they always throw me.
 
cobalt124 said:
Can't spell diarrhoea. I think I've just got it right for the first time ever.
Heh. An American might disagree.
 
Gokul43201 said:
Heh. An American might disagree.

A Brit might, I'm not so sure now.
 
I often see rediculous when it should be spelled ridiculous. reoccurring when they mean recurring

I seem to misspell words a lot lately, words I know how to spell.
 
My main problems are with exceptions to "i before e, except after c" and sometimes the differences in suffixes "ence" and "ance."
 
  • #10
Ivan Seeking said:
Ugh, I just realized that I've been spelling devastation as devestation. :rolleyes: And the worst of it is that I was doing this on purpose!
...
Maybe it's mainly a vision thing, not sure. Late edits can contribute to the dropped words problem, and I do a lot of that as I think things through a little more.

I think it might be due to the lack of focus. When I have too many things on my mind, I drop a lot of words that I think were there. I hate to drop words like 'not'. I go back and wonder what the hell I just wrote. Sometimes, I wouldn't notice what I dropped even when I review it second time. But, speaking it out loud always helps. I might need new glasses also but I never thought about that.
 
  • #11
I think this thread is unneccessary. Unecessary. Unneccesary. Whatever, it's not needed.
 
  • #12
Nun off this wood bee a problem if ewe jest used a spell chequer like eye dew.
 
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  • #13
Tomorrow used to get me, then oddly, I just split it into: "to the morrow", which apparently bypasses one of the screwier circuits in my brain.

I'm more used to thinking faster than I type... about 80% of my writing occurs in editing, and I rarely if ever edit here (not a shock to anyone familiar with me)... for spelling there is a checker.
 
  • #14
Words with ie. I can't be bothered to recite that stupid poem.
 
  • #15
Pythagorean said:
Words with ie. I can't be bothered to recite that stupid poem.

I before E, except after C, but now we have spellcheck so we all are FREE!
 
  • #17
russ_watters said:
Rediculous.

Sheeriously?
 
  • #18
lisab said:
I think this thread is unneccessary. Unecessary. Unneccesary. Whatever, it's not needed.

that's my big one. and any others with a lot more consonants than necessary. like accommodate. accommodate.
 
  • #19
Rithym...Rythme...Rythem?

But no: it's Rhythm, unfortunately. God, it gives me a headache.

And then when you ask someone, they're like: "You mean rhyme?""Y" has no business being a vowel, only part of the time either. That's total bull crap.
 
  • #20
FrancisZ said:
Rithym...Rythme...Rythem?

But no: it's Rhythm, unfortunately. God, it gives me a headache.

And then when you ask someone, they're like: "You mean rhyme?"


And "Y" has no business being a vowel, only part of the time either.

Same here! And.. Assymetry... I always try to make it Asymmetry.
 
  • #21
nismaratwork said:
Same here! And.. Assymetry... I always try to make it Asymmetry.


Boy, but does that have room for a joke. It's literally written all over it.

But it does actually look less offensive, with the single s. o:)
 
  • #22
nismaratwork said:
Tomorrow used to get me, then oddly, I just split it into: "to the morrow", which apparently bypasses one of the screwier circuits in my brain.

I have to remember it as to-mor-row.

Jimy, spelchequers are pointles.
 
  • #23
S_Happens said:
...the differences in suffixes "ence" and "ance."

sion vs tion
 
  • #24
Ivan Seeking said:
sion vs tion

good one.

and ise vs ize (when pronounced "eyes")
 
  • #25
I like selping.
 
  • #26
Ivan Seeking said:
I have to remember it as to-mor-row.

Jimy, spelchequers are pointles.

Yeah... I read too much old English as a kid... rots the brain.

Ahhh.. who HASN'T misspelled "brain" as "brian" at least once on keyboard?
 
  • #27
nismaratwork said:
Ahhh.. who HASN'T misspelled "brain" as "brian" at least once on keyboard?
Me. :smile::smile::smile:
 
  • #28
Actual written content, from my great uncle to my grandfather, while the former was on his honeymoon (ca. 1950)...

"Having a wonderful time playing glof."
 
  • #29
Sidebar: When very young, did anyone else here think LMNO was a single letter - elemmenno?

as in ...H, I, J, K, ELLEMMENNO, P...
 
  • #30
cobalt124 said:
Oh, and there's the exceptions to the "i before e, except after c" rule, can't think of one, but they always throw me.

It's ...

i before e,
Except after c,
Or when sounded as "a,"
As in neighbour and weigh.
Or other weird words
Such as species, science, and seize.

But I always liked the idea that "weird" broke the rule. How fitting.
 

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