# Dramatic increase in spelling mistakes on the SDMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 4, 2013, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813 "2013-04-04T09:28:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/21 "2013-04-04T14:12:29Z")
Gilty as charged, ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/22 "2013-04-04T15:17:45Z")
I’m just glad I’ve never made a tylpo here on the boards yet! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/23 "2013-04-04T15:23:40Z")
I’m a gud spellar and grammatician, but suck at typing. I can 10 key by touch, but even after 25+ years of using a comptuter I still cannot touch type. I try to re-read my posts, but usually miss the errors until .00001 second after the edit time expires. ---
**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:** [April 4, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/24 "2013-04-04T15:41:04Z")
I haven’t noticed a dramatic increase in spelling errors, but if there is one, I’d guess it’s largely due to more people posting from devices that don’t have real keyboards. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/25 "2013-04-04T15:49:52Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Autocorrect. > > Sometimes I’m reading and typing so quickly, looking at the keypad, I don’t even realize I’ve been autocorrected with some word that makes absolutely no sense. > > I blame autocorrect. Me too. I’ll be reading a post, and I can’t make heads or tails of what the OP was intending to say - there’s a word or two in here that just doesn’t belong. > [@kambuckta](#): > > Turn it off. In the spirit of all that is good and wholesome about the SDMB, switch off your autocorrect, and revert to our innate and amazing literacy. > > We’re so damned good at it we don’t need any artificial handicaps! > > 😉 That’s right - our natural handicaps are plenty! > [@Jackmannii](#): > > Posters can make all the spelling errors they want as far as I’m concerned, if in trade I could get our highly trained hospital staff to stop calling over the intercom for “Res-pi-tory Services”. > > And they don’t just make that mistake in Feb-u-ary, either. > > They should be dunked in for-m_u_lin (another loathsome mispronunciation I am constantly subjected to). How about perculator and esculator? Do those drive you as crazy as they drive me? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/26 "2013-04-04T16:29:48Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Autocorrect. > > Sometimes I’m reading and typing so quickly, looking at the keypad, I don’t even realize I’ve been autocorrected with some word that makes absolutely no sense. > > I blame autocorrect. Auto correct can go straight to he’ll. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/27 "2013-04-04T16:47:58Z")
It used to be that you couldn’t get away with a remark like “your a looser” on the Dope, but we’re seeing more and more of those. Autocorrect, my ass, lack of attention and respect are to blame. When that occurs, I tend to disregard the rest of the rant. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/28 "2013-04-04T17:44:35Z")
New devices, iPads, phones, etc, plus autocorrect, are a deadly combination. At least for me. And at least such users are trying, and improving as they grow more familiar with their devices. What about all the no capitals crap. That’s just outright lazy. I figure if that gets a pass you can suck it up till I get better with my ipad! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/29 "2013-04-04T17:55:16Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > I’m a gud spellar and grammatician, but suck at typing. I can 10 key by touch, but even after 25+ years of using a comptuter I still cannot touch type. I try to re-read my posts, but usually miss the errors until .00001 second after the edit time expires. Touch typing is not a cure-all. I’ve been touch typing for nearly 50 years and still make mistakes, especially with connectors like “that” instead of “than”. My brain spells it correctly, but my fingers don’t always go where I tell them. At 65, I’m finding that I have some problems remembering which ending to use -ence, -ance, -ability, -ibility, etc. But most everything else is still intact. Mad skilz. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/30 "2013-04-04T18:00:19Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Auto correct can go straight to he’ll. 😃 That’s funny… ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/31 "2013-04-06T23:00:30Z")
I notice small words, like auxiliary verbs and “not” missing from my own posts when I go back and read them. Some of this is obviously the result of careless editing on my part, particularly if that involves changing the structure of a sentence. What’s strange about it now is that I see a lot of this from other posters as well, or maybe I’m just noticing it more. In any case, not that I think about it, I see it in all sorts of online communities these days. The impression I get is not of people who don’t know English very well, but of native speakers from whose posts words or phrases are missing in mid sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/32 "2013-04-06T23:30:18Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Yet I’ve noticed a distinct deterioration in the past few months. And not only from new posters: many of the old-timers appear to be slipping as well. It’s not the less common words that are being farnarkled, it’s the ubiquitous ones, like there, their, and they’re (just to give examples). Site? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/33 "2013-04-06T23:38:41Z")
Yep, I blame iPads and smartphones. Sometimes, ironically, it’s Autocorrect. Other times, it’s just a cumbersome way to type, let alone tapping, dragging and plowing through your posts to make corrections. Also, due to slower typing speeds on these devices, the 5 min. edit window seems a lot shorter now! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/34 "2013-04-07T00:39:06Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > They added a “z” to Kosciuszko. Didn’t you get the memo? > > Despite living no where near Mt Kosciuszko, I went to a primary school with “Kosciusko” in its name. As if that wasn’t already hard enough for a small child to spell, they had to go and add a superfluous “z” to the damn word. Fortunately I was many years out of primary school when it changed. Was it pronounced Koss-key-oo-sko or Kuhshooshko? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/35 "2013-04-07T00:43:09Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Was it pronounced Koss-key-oo-sko or Kuhshooshko? It’s pronounced Kozzee-osko. (Happens to be the name of Australia’s highest peak.) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/36 "2013-04-07T05:41:39Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Posters can make all the spelling errors they want as far as I’m concerned, if in trade I could get our highly trained hospital staff to stop calling over the intercom for “Res-pi-tory Services”. > > And they don’t just make that mistake in Feb-u-ary, either. > > They should be dunked in for-m_u_lin (another loathsome mispronunciation I am constantly subjected to). You ought to hear a ward secretary try to pronounce eosinophil or Acinetobacter, let along try to spell them. And there’s one somewhere that keeps putting in orders for “timid” blood draws. It makes me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/37 "2013-04-07T06:21:43Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Auto correct can go straight to he’ll. No joke – two days ago my iPhone’s autocorrect “corrected” apparently to apparantly for me. I almost fell over. My guess is that in a rush I typed apparantly once and it accepted it as a new word for the dictionary or something. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/38 "2013-04-07T10:46:14Z")
Eh, I wouldn’t turn off the autocorrect on my iPhone. For one thing, it automatically puts the apostrophes in contractions, which is a timesaver for me. Even if it insists on substituting “he’ll” when I meant h-e-double-hockey-sticks. It’s just a matter of knowing the correct usage of a word. As **Moodindigo1** said, it’s lack of attention that’s the culprit. If you are switching “your” and “you’re”, or mixing up “there”, “their”, and “they’re”, it’s not your device’s fault. Autocorrect can’t predict your context. I also find that preview is my friend. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/39 "2013-04-07T12:26:00Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I blame autocorrect. Yeah, I’ve just started referring to the stupid thing as auto-incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813/40 "2013-04-07T12:33:42Z")
I blame Typo Knig. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-increase-in-spelling-mistakes-on-the-sdmb/654813.md?page=3)