The legitimacy of spelling on the Internet
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
I first came across the argument that people should spell correctly on the Wireplay messageboards (Wireplay, now Gameplay, is a UK gaming service). By a stroke of luck, I had read in the New Scientist not long before an article on how well people can interpret words which are not correctly spelled. Judge for yourself: if you can comprehend the words, then you understand the article!
Ahtlgouh wodrs can be misplet, as lnog as the frist and lsat ltteers of the wrod are in the crorect pcales, the rdaeer can siltl untensdard waht the wtirer is tlankig aoubt. Tihs gvies rsie to the ieda of wtheher spllenig is all it is crckaed up to be, bceuase slurey samenitcs tkae percdeance oevr synacttics. The ohter pinot of veiw is taht if we aollw any cinombiitaon of lttrees, lganguae wlil bomece far too dfifciult for poelpe in difefrnet aeras to udnrestnad. We see toady taht dliactes and snlag can beomce ailen to us; waht wuold it be lkie if we slpet dfifenrelty as wlel as takled dfifenrelty?
If tihs is too dfifciult to udnrestnad, tehn try raednig it in yuor mnid's ear, so you 'haer' waht you are raeidng. Tihs suohld amlost cretianly hlep.
Thknas, hpoe you ejonyed it!
Ahtlgouh wodrs can be misplet, as lnog as the frist and lsat ltteers of the wrod are in the crorect pcales, the rdaeer can siltl untensdard waht the wtirer is tlankig aoubt. Tihs gvies rsie to the ieda of wtheher spllenig is all it is crckaed up to be, bceuase slurey samenitcs tkae percdeance oevr synacttics. The ohter pinot of veiw is taht if we aollw any cinombiitaon of lttrees, lganguae wlil bomece far too dfifciult for poelpe in difefrnet aeras to udnrestnad. We see toady taht dliactes and snlag can beomce ailen to us; waht wuold it be lkie if we slpet dfifenrelty as wlel as takled dfifenrelty?
If tihs is too dfifciult to udnrestnad, tehn try raednig it in yuor mnid's ear, so you 'haer' waht you are raeidng. Tihs suohld amlost cretianly hlep.
Thknas, hpoe you ejonyed it!
