How can you assume someone is stupid just because they misspelled a word in a question?

Question

Some people just type really fast. Some people are not perfectionists. The point I'm trying to make here is 9 times out of 10, people know how to spell the word they misspelled and just either typed the wrong letter, extra letter, or missed a letter. Yes, I understand that when you are doing some serious writing, spelling counts. But when I type questions on here, I relax and am not so worried about spelling because, I THOUGHT that people would still get the message. So why bother? I'm not trying to impress anyone on here. Go ahead. I dare you to find a mistake here! Feel free to point it out! And yes, I did hit the spell check.

Answer 1

I don't assume people are stupid because they misspelled a word in their question. I assume it when I see SO many spelling errors and abbreviations that I can't even understand what the question is. I'm not saying I never make them. I'm saying that it's ok to have a few typos.

But it's not ok to have major run on sentences with no punctuation, major spelling errors everywhere, and/or major internet slang (how r u 2 day? instead of how are you today?) Because then people don't understand what you're saying, and if they don't understand what you're saying, they assume you're stupid.

Answer 2

Typos do happen and they are understandable but when a tool such as Spell Check exists, why not use it? I disagree with you that nine times out of 10 people know how to spell the word and that the mistake is simply a typo. I think that nine times out of 10 people truly have no idea. With abbreviations in formats such as text messaging and instant messaging becoming ever more common I think that we are creating a culture where the art of written communication has fallen by the wayside and given rise instead to an increasingly-and alarmingly-illiterate society that can no longer distinguish between properly spelled words and gibberish.

I also don't think that there is anything wrong with expecting that people understand and use proper grammar if English is their native language. The number of people on here who can't distinguish between there, their and they're or it's and its is disappointing to me at best. The number of people who can no longer form a coherent and well-constructed sentence is pathetic. Is the education system failing us or are people simply making so many excuses for the poor grammar resulting from a lack of proper usage that we truly no longer know what is correct? True, languages morph over time and the English of Shakespeare's era is clearly no longer our English today but whatever changes may occur in a language, there is always an acceptable norm and what is the norm these days is nebulous and thereby disconcerting.

Are these mispellers and poor grammar users "stupid"? Maybe not. Are they ignorant? I believe so. There is a difference. Instead of making excuses for people and accepting and allowing them to continue to wallow in their ignorance, I choose to correct their mistakes. If they see that as condescending or a power trip on my part, they truly do only themselves a gross injustice.

Answer 3

There are a lot of "smart people" who cant spell! My boss was one of them!

Also, how about dyslexic people? There are some that are Actors, and they have a large amount of memorization in making of those movies and daytime dramas. (Something I cant do, as my mind, it was fine when I had it, but, it has left me a lingering memory of what it used to be, and I miss it so much!).

I often mispell words too, and everyone "thinks" I am intelligent, but, I guess I can fool most of the people, most of the time, eh?

I never look down on anyone, if they cant spell. I take each person as they are, and I often learn a lot from them, even the smallest tid bit, is something I get to garner from each person.

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 4

If there was a slight misspelling then fine. But this thing has a spell check button, so if you cant read that you have some problems.

Answer 5

Because you can check the spelling before you submit the answer.
instructions:
1. look at the top right corner of the box that you see the letters you are typing.
2. move mouse pointer to the button and press the right button on the mouse
you must be stupid if you can't perform this action before you preview and submit your answer

Answer 6

I am not a fan of the grammar nazis.

If you have nothing to point out other than there[sic] mistakes, then you really ought not answer the question. And yeah, I have seen more than a few answers where the answerer said nothing more than, "I don't know how to answer your question, but you need to learn how to spell....." for just a simple typo. It's condensending beyond reproach. You may as well have answered that her mother was a hamster, and her father smelt of ellderberries.

Answer 7

"The point I'm trying to make here is 9 times out of 10" actually there should be the word "that" between "is" and "9".

j/k because they want points and they don't have a real answer. It makes them feel powerful to say "oooohh you're WRONG!" rather than actually thinking about the question.

():-D
shadowgirl

Answer 8

I grew up with spell check. I am at it's mercy. I don't assume people are stupid. I give them a chance to prove it first... :)

The type of person who corrects another person's spelling (unsolicited) isn't a person who's respect you need anyway.

Answer 9

misspelling 1 or 2 words is a typo

typing in mostly all abbreviations and misspellings (2, ur, boyz, girls, wats up, etc.) is annoying to read, unintelligible, and DOES show to me that the person is not very bright.

If you want someone to take the time to answer your question, show some common courtesy by taking an extra moment to write a coherent question.

Hope that answrz ur Q grl! :-)

Answer 10

Seriously, one misspelled word is rarely a problem. It is the slang and "ghetto language" that people use that make many of us discount them as stupid.