# Are you a good speller and do you use spellcheck? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997 "2010-08-03T12:32:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/21 "2010-08-03T15:59:31Z")
I’m an excellent speller (spelling bee champion of my school three years running! Oh God, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for a legitimate excuse to throw that into a conversation) and don’t bother running spell check when I’m just typing up an email or something. But I always use it before submitting a document for work, or turning in a paper for a class, or anything like that. I also rely on the built-in spellchecker in Firefox, as it often catches typos for me. (Like just now when I tried to spell it “tpyos.”) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/22 "2010-08-03T18:22:55Z")
I am a very good speller. The only time I use spelling checker (and I call it “typo checker” because I can’t remember the last time it caught an actual spelling error, but it catches a few typos) is when the result matters–something I’m doing for work, a fiction piece I’m planning to submit, etc. I can usually catch typos when I read over what I’ve written. Since I’m a color-grapheme synesthete, misspelled words just jump off the page at me because they don’t “look right.” ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/23 "2010-08-03T18:41:40Z")
I’m generally a good speller, but I do keep a spellchecker turned on (in my browser) just in case I miss something. I’m not a native English speaker. Besides, I like magic. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/24 "2010-08-03T18:56:34Z")
I’m another one who’s a good speller, but who occasionally makes typos. Chrome has a built-in spellcheck, so I’ve never bothered to install one. I do have a few bugaboo words that I can’t seem to get right (\*separate \*and \*paraphernalia \*come to mind) so it’s nice to have the spellcheck. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/25 "2010-08-03T19:07:33Z")
I don’t consciously use one, though sometimes I use a word processor that has it turned on, and I’ll notice if it flags something. Usually, though, it’s more trouble than it’s worth. If I really care about having things spelled correctly, I’ll proofread. I’ve just been working on my syllabus for this fall’s Calculus class. MS Word’s spell checker doesn’t believe there’s such a word as “antidifferentiation” and suggests that what I really mean is “ant differentiation.” ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/26 "2010-08-03T19:43:02Z")
Most everything I type text into has automatic spell check; Firefox, Open Office, Eudora. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/27 "2010-08-03T20:25:56Z")
Yes, and yes. I am a very good speller, and I hate it when I send something out with a misspelling in it. I also happen to be a pretty bad typist, so I always use spellcheck to catch words that I know how to spell but can’t seem to type out correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/28 "2010-08-03T20:38:44Z")
I’m an excellent speller, but I generally use a spellchecker to help catch typos. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997/29 "2010-08-03T21:12:12Z")
As I read the forums over the next few days I am going to keep reminding myself that 93% of Dopers think they are good spellers… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-good-speller-and-do-you-use-spellcheck/548997.md?page=1)