Why Do People Make Issue with Spelling Mistakes?

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Res

I agree with you 100%. I only point out spelling mistakes to people that have made a loud issue out of it themselves. They need to know that they too are not infallible and how petty it actually is. The best way to correct somebody is simply to repeat the word in your answer, allowing them the opportunity to notice their mistake by themselves, and make a mental note for future use. Simple and easy. People that rudely point out spelling mistakesâ€¦.have bigger problems than those that forgot how to spell a word.

Road Runner...Hennie shouted blue murder at some people because of incorrect spelling or punctuation for that matter. But I did not hear him shout or even whisper when a spelling mistake was pointed out to him. If he tones it down, I don't mind having somebody politely correct my spelling. Hennie is okay, he is one of us. My worst spelling mistake was 'staired' i.s.o 'stared' Now that! Would kill Hennie on the spot!

And there you go....see...people talking confidently about correct spelling, grammar and language when they are blissfully unaware that their own contribution puts them in that very same bracket. I am ignoring my itchy thumbs down finger. Let it go, let it go, let it go! And all that spelling stuff and why is the reason..does not matter.

Aaliyah's Mama

I see your point. It should be more important to focus on the subject at hand, rather than the spelling of the opponent. However, in a heated discussion, when one no longer can think of anything valid to support one's point of view, it becomes easy to point out faults which have nothing to do with the discussion.

friendlystranger65

Spelling stuff correctly and using grammatical English indicate a respect for your reader. They also make it easier to understand what the Asker is trying to say.

We are all amateurs and volunteers here. We take time out of our lives to help people, and occasionally to show off our knowledge. They payoff is in Yahoo!Answers points, which, in case you had not noticed, will not get you ten cents off the price of can of tomatoes.

Somebody said that the reason that academic politics is so vicious is precisely because the rewards are so small.

It's hard enough to risk ridicule and censure from persons of limited ability and charity without struggling with also having to struggle to find what an Asker is really asking.

kr@zyk1w1

I got bagged here once for calling this a forum so good luck with that. People pick on spelling mistakes because they have nothing more exciting going in their lives. Also I have my eyes on auto correct all the time so I dont have a problem with spelling misteaks at all. :-)

D405!

I really dont know because i am sure everyone has made a spelling error at some point of their lives!

Road Runner

I must admit. I was also pointing out spelling mistakes, but only those that Hennie made - as he was doing it to everyone else.

I also started a question like you did here about the very issue, where I pointed out errors that he made.
I got a violation for it.

Anyways - Hennie and I have sorted out our differences now, Spelling is his thing.
I will be the first to admit that he has a very good command of the English Language.

What it has done to me though - is force me to put a bit of extra thought into what I write.

I have just decided to accept it and tolerate it.
He is just having a bit of fun and trying to get us all worked up.
It worked on me.

gnomus12

Peeple jost want to beleeve that they are smart...so they poynt out hour meestakes. :)

Captain

WELL ME I I'M 51 AND FRENCH I TRYING TO LEARN-ED TO WRIGHT FOR ONE YEAR NOW AND I CAN SAY THAT MOST OF ENGLISH PEOPLES AS BEEN VARY GOOD TO ME SO TY TO ALL THE GOOD ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLES FOR YOU UNDERSTANDING YOU HAVE BEING SO GOOD TY

cakes

What always amuses me is the pedantic types who maintain other users cannot spell, often make mistakes themselves!! Accept us for what we are, and be happy that we are all able to communicate in one language. Yahoo dictates that we use English as a medium, and we seem to understand each other, right through all the spelling mistakes. .

*Edit* I presume the user some yank is american. Unfortunately the YA spell checker cannot spell many words in the English language correctly, let alone those that are spoken on a daily basis by South Africans. The word braai is "corrected" to bari ?? And colour gets into color ?? Huh??, so the spell checker is rather infallible, talk about showing respect to the answerer!!

cheri

Yes, it is not necessary, and i also get confused sometimes, should i use to or too, there or their - and if i make a spelling or grammar mistake i hope everyone realize it is not intentional..............baklei as ek dit in Afrikaans doen want ek behoort van beter te weet - dit is my eerste taal

toecee

Just because they can smell! It gets to me too! All they have is a good memory but they think it's some super human thing. The correct spelling of words is laid down by a group of academics who meet at Cambridge University twice a year.

Lovely

I don't think it's right to make an issue of spelling mistakes when it's just a couple of letters muddled up and the rest of the document is fine. However, we all went to primary school and were taught grammar and basic spelling, yet so many young people insist on spelling things wrongly, or spelling things intentionally wrongly in a cutesy-cute manner.
Also, in a professional document, there is no excuse. When spell checks are available on every computer and easy to use, why should there be any spelling mistakes? I'm not saying I'm a great speller myself, but awful spelling grates on me, especially text slang.

Bluelady...

Hi Zim,
I like your question, however I'm the world worse speller, and thank god for, "SPELL CHECK".
I can't answer your question properly, but do know from past experiences; IF one is too quick to point out every spelling era that someone has made, then they missed out the whole importance of ones question, or answers...and that's the drawback on both parts. Their loss is other man's gain, in my eyes only. We do all best, that's better then nothing at all.
We all can't be perfect...

Small things amuse small minds...

She's so Regal!

I really don't like when someone asks a question with spelling mistakes and the answerer just mocks him/her.

What I do is point out the obvious mistake AND answer the question.

Spelling mistakes, even if it as low as two, hinder the flow of the question. It gets interrupted.

***The annoying thing about spelling mistakes on Y!A is that right above the box where the question is typed there is a "check spelling" link. Why should anyone misspell something if that is soooooooo accessible???***

Dr.Dave from aussie

Because thats all they can get that person on.

Dee

I agree, and it is not even always spelling mistakes, but merely typing errors....

And to top it all, a study revealed that you only need to have the first and last letter of a word in the correct place and the brain will interpret it correctly.

Emmanuel M

Well spelling mistakes, really are used by opponents to deviate attention from the question, and this it should not happen,

SanAntonioTexasUsa

LOL why did you put Why do people make issue with spelling mistakes.. thats not how you put it together LOL. WHy do people make typing mistakes

sharrona

Why is the reason for school? How many years of English must one study to develop the proper pronunciation and use of the language.....

There is definitely a reason..................also, check spelling is a wonderful and lazy tool to use when in doubt of the correct spelling........

So what is your question?

logan's babydoll

I'm the worse speller in the world I hate when people correct me

Jean G

It is a personality flaw, it is controlling and withholding. These are people who don't feel and probably are not qualified to discuss content so they focus on the vehicle, which is meaningless. Women (I am a woman) tend to do this-it is a style of blind rule following that girls are more likely to adapt. I hate that.

Lexical

***** u

some-yank

With the availability of an automated spell checking utility, such mistakes reveal the laziness of the writer. This also speaks volumes of their lack of respect for the readers. Those who point out spelling errors (not simple typos) are in most cases right to do so. If you want the courtesy of having your question answered, then extend the courtesy of using proper spelling and grammar.

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