Misspelling as indicator of spoken dialect

  • Thread starter Loren Booda
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In summary: I don't know. Its an interesting idea and something that could be researched, but I'm not sure if it would be very practical or if it would yield any interesting results.
  • #1
Loren Booda
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For persons speaking a standardized written language, one may measure the correlations between common misspellings to determine non-random clusters identifying specific spoken dialects.

What do you think of the feasability of such a study, or has it already been done?
 
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  • #2
Of course, one MAY do this, but at the outset, I'm rather skeptical as to whether this will yield any interesting and surprising (strong) correlations.

However, I would find it very interesting if someone actually did such a study and came up with strong correlations.
 
  • #3
If you wish to look at language in such a light, i believe that you should also look at cultral contexts. i mean, in this day and age, instant messaging and texting are taking over how we communicate, but are our spoken language skills actually decreasing? maybe that could be taken into account...
 
  • #4
Our dialect also depends on how we hear ourselves, both speaking and thinking.
 
  • #5
Loren Booda said:
Our dialect also depends on how we hear ourselves, both speaking and thinking.

u kant b shr tht wt u reeds wt u gt

What I find fascinating is that often you'll find someone from Ethiopia speaking better english than the english professor in your University.

Its a matter of who taught you and how eager you were to learn the language.

I've got a friend in Scotland who swears that the Aberdeen U english department speaks better english than anyone in Oxford or Cambridge or anywhere in the world. When he told me this I had to listen very closely because his accent was as heavy as a tonne of bricks.

To answer your question, sorry, I think misspelling can easily be used and shown to be an indicator of spoken dialect and could point to the general economic, geographic and cultural origin of the misspeller. Misspelling could also indicate education levels and comprehension levels of the subject.
 
  • #6
Loren Booda said:
For persons speaking a standardized written language, one may measure the correlations between common misspellings to determine non-random clusters identifying specific spoken dialects.

What do you think of the feasability of such a study, or has it already been done?

I've heard this before, mostly from teachers posting hilarious essays their students wrote (mainly about how unreadable something is due to spelling/grammar). You can sometimes even tell the person's accent by saying the words out loud as you read them. 2 kids in the same English class will learn the same rules for phonetics. The kid with Spanish parents will make very different spelling mistakes than the kid with Russian parents, even if English is their only language.

how bout them bleks in seth efrika?
 

1. What is the significance of misspelling as an indicator of spoken dialect?

Misspelling can be a reflection of how a person pronounces words in their spoken dialect. Certain sounds or phonemes may be pronounced differently in different dialects, leading to variations in spelling.

2. How accurate is misspelling as an indicator of spoken dialect?

The accuracy of misspelling as an indicator of spoken dialect can vary. It may be more accurate in some cases, such as with distinctive regional dialects, and less accurate in others, such as with more standard or widely-used dialects.

3. Can misspelling be used to identify specific dialects?

Misspelling can sometimes be used to identify specific dialects, especially if there are distinct patterns or consistent misspellings associated with a particular dialect. However, it should not be relied upon as the sole method for identifying dialects.

4. Are there other factors that can influence misspelling in written language?

Yes, there are other factors that can influence misspelling in written language. These can include individual differences in spelling ability, educational background, and exposure to different dialects and language varieties.

5. How can the use of misspelling as an indicator of spoken dialect be applied in research or practical settings?

Misspelling can be used as a tool for studying and understanding language variation in different dialects. It can also be applied in areas such as speech recognition technology and language teaching, where knowledge of dialect-specific pronunciation and spelling can be beneficial.

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