# An English language research --help!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 16, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763 "2003-10-16T11:46:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hazeleyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazeleyes)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/1 "2003-10-16T11:46:08Z")
Recently I’ve read a post from other bbs forum which has something to do with my graduate thesis paper. I need to know more info about it and I 'll be appreciated if you could give me a hand .
that post goes like this:
> [@](#):
>
> Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.
I want to know which university it is mentioned in this post and, if possible, the whole content of this kind of research. Also I need some websites which are related with this kind of language research.
thanks!!
PS :it seems that words that contain 3 letters or less cannot be scrambled… (coz the first and the last letters must remain intact). but i guess it’s quite easy to guess what a scrambled 3-letter word is.
---
### Author:  [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/2 "2003-10-16T11:57:09Z")
[Related link](http://www.aardvarkbusiness.net/tool/) - looks like a fake/made up thing?
[Snopes comments](http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/cambridge.asp) - undetermined…
Grim
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### Author:  [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/3 "2003-10-16T12:02:23Z")
Here’s what [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/language/apocryph/cambridge.asp) has to say about it.
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### Author:  [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/4 "2003-10-16T13:07:55Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Altnerappy the ininevretng csretcarahs hvae to riaten smoe of the oniredrg. If you slpmiy rsrevee the oedrr ot the ininevrevng crertcarahs, i’ts slnedduy a lot mroe cetacilpmod to cneherpmod.
Apparently the intervening characterss have to retain some of the ordering. If you simply reverse the order ot the invervening charactrers, it’s suddenly a lot more complicated to comprehend
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### Author:  [@dodyskin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dodyskin)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/5 "2003-10-16T15:20:59Z")
i’ve seen this doing the rounds too. here [http://www.bisso.com/ujg\_archives/000060.html](http://www.bisso.com/ujg_archives/000060.html) dr. graham wilkinson claims this as part of his phd thesis. this is not available online but all phd theses are published and you should be able to get a copy from the university library if you write to them. there may be a charge for this. apparently there was some similar research done, also in the 1970’s which was published in the scientific american. the online archives only go back to 1993 but your university librarian should be able to help you obtain a copy. make friends with the librarian, they have magical powers.
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### Author:  [@hazeleyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazeleyes)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/6 "2003-10-16T16:16:55Z")
Thanks a lot. You guys are of great help!
It seems to be a big headache for me to google this kind of stuff.
I wonder if there are any Universites providing thesis paper on line concerining English language, expecially about business language. I am in great need of this kind of website that I could make some references, for my college is a small one and provide just a few writing materials
thanks again.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/7 "2003-10-16T18:30:26Z")
The bit about scrambled internal letters was discussed pretty recently in both MPSIMS and GQ, but damned if I can find either thread in a search. Maybe somebody else will have better luck.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/8 "2003-10-17T01:17:33Z")
cacordign to ersearhc at an neglihs nuiversiyt, it edoest’n amttre hwethre the elttesr in a owrd ekpe hteir nitila or ifnla elttesr, the miportatn htign is htta the all the elttesr are rpesetn. Any htign you may ahev esne toherwies is ocmpleet ubllshti.
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### Author:  [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-language-research-help/207763/9 "2003-10-17T02:45:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bibliophage \*
> \*\*The bit about scrambled internal letters was discussed pretty recently in both MPSIMS and GQ, but damned if I can find either thread in a search. Maybe somebody else will have better luck. \*\*
If you punch rscheearch into the search, it will give you a list.
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