Is it just lazy typing or do people really spell so badly?

Question

I know I will be shot down in flames for this one. However, it amazes me how their and there, weight and wait etc., etc., are confused - I know the teaching profession takes a battering but if this is how we prepare the next generation for business then I wonder how English can survive.

Thank you to everyone who has answered. To those of you learning English - don't be put off - you are doing better in my language than I would in yours!

Answer 1

agree agree agree. about time someone said so. ignore the ones who "shoot you down in flames". or those who say it's all typos (just an excuse)

Answer 2

I think some people can't spell so well, as the school system moved away from phonics!! I have a step daughter that is going on 20 and she doesn't spell very well, first noticed this when she was 13 so I tried to get her to sound out the words, well looked around for phonics books, could not find any you know with the rules(i before e except after c) etc. every time I asked her if she had homework (did it in school)
maintained a c+grade by the time she reached 16 it was all over as she was more interested in boys than school work wanted to give her the belt but you know moms and society these days your being too hard on the poor little darling so ended up not spanking her! Now she says she wishes I was tougher on her but i still blame the public school system for just passing her along well she still can't read proficiently but she has improved a lot thank god.Public schools suck I went to parochial school so I think they give a much better edu because of discipline at least that's the way I see it
BRING BACK THE PHONICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blokheed do you know you spelled realize wrong!lol

Answer 3

There are many reasons I can think of for poor spelling, The keyboard gets messed up and prints two letter instead of one, when crumbs fall while eating in front of the Computer. There are people that are bilingual or multi lingual, and then the spelling gets mixed up with other language spelling of the same or similar words. Others are still learning English as their second language, and therefore spell poorly. And some are poor spellers, but may be good at another subject. And then there are the ones that perhaps do not have the check spelling above this box, or just fail to use it.What is to say about the ones that tired and sleepy while answering questions I am pleased and proud to be speaking the English language, still need to learn a lot more about it, English will survive if we work at it, and have instructions available, and convenient to access, and listen and absorb English from good sources as Theater, good movies and of course good Literature

Answer 4

Everyone has lapses in their grammar and spelling. I'm a former journalist - I made a career of my ability to write - and yet I'll hold my hands up right now and say I am occasionally guilty of using there instead of their, or of spelling a word like receipt with the i and the e the wrong way round.

You could call it laziness, but when I can I do check I've written things correctly. Other times, I don't bother - that's the honest answer.

At the end of the day, some consider correct spelling, grammar and punctuation to be more important than others. For me, it is quite far down my list of priorities but that doesn't mean I'm lazy or poorly educated. A site like Yahoo Answers is not the best place to seek examples of perfect alliteration.

Answer 5

What is being seen here is an evolution in language,and it could be regarded as a quantum develoment, and one that is not necessarily desirable. We have seen textspeak develop as a result of constraints with your 130 character message limitation and if the use is confined to this medium then you can argue that this is fine. If jargon is created in specific industries, professions, pastimes and indeed leisure pursuits to convey concepts in shorthand or with a greater precision than the existing language . As this filters into every day use then it becomes part of normal usage. It's evolution, but the English language has evolved over a long period and convey meaning as precisely as possible and this is now being undermined. We have some folks here standing for local council and you can imagine the hit on the credibility of a billboard reading 'Mary Jones 4 Council' (I am not making this up) The only thing missing is the slogan ' I care abt u'
The bottom line is, you can't beat them, but u don't hve 2 join em !!! Sloppy spelling is simply a result of laziness and thinking of the spellchecker as something with a modicum of intelligence,it's only a tool, and we can expect more wonderful evolution (or devolution) of the language as a result of this. Hang on for the ride !!!!

Answer 6

I think people do spell as they do on here because that is how they spell - otherwise why would they post it with misspellings if they knew how to spell it properly.

I have to say that I do not like 'text speak' as it is not neccessary when you have a keyboard and not a mobile keypad

But as for being lazy, I do not think you can be lazy with spelling - you either know a word or you do not
But with modern technology you can of course be lazy about spell checking and correcting it.

I always do this as I am dyslexic and so am ultra aware of the fact I can not spell.
But I really do not worry if others do not spell properly and can I ask why you do? As long as you can read it I can not see it matters on somewhere like this?

However it is because of how you are judged and badly by others if you can not spell that I spell check everything and even then miss some words.
it is because all my life I have been penalised for not being able to spell and judged to be lazy or daft.

During the end of my primary school and at the beginning 2 years of my secondary school there was no understanding of dyslexia and because I was generally bright it was assumed that my handwriting was so bad ( dyslexia can affect coordination and fine movements) and my spelling so terrible that I must either be lazy or doing it to annoy so they decided not to mark anything I wrote in school until I improved both.

Of course without help I could not so nothing was marked until I was in the third year when they then decided I was educationally challenged.

It is not just the younger generation that have problems as I am in my 50s.
However obviously not everyone is dyslexic

But I do not think you need worry about spelling when those who do not spell well are in Business etc
As I have found that computers in later years have almost totally solved my dyslexia and I am sure they do for those just with bad spelling - as when working they can use a spell checker - maybe we do not spell os well theses days as computers have made it not necessary?

Anyway I am sure that at work everyone here checks their spelling and I do not think it matters if they do not on here .
I don't mind others posts not being spelt properly - - I just wish I had to confidence not to have to spend minutes checking every post I make as I have to put it in word as the spell checker here only seems to work with up to 80 words

Answer 7

I agree and I for one will not shoot you down in flames. It seems to be an incredibly bad indictment of the poor standards that are readily accepted as the norm nowadays.
Sure everyone makes typo's but there is no excuse for not using the spellchecker. The irony is if you pull anybody up about it (even when their poor spelling makes a total mockery of their question) you run the risk of being reported.
It never ceases to amaze me that when I pull somebody up about their poor grammar how many thumbs down my response gets? So I often add something like "you do realise that by booing me you are in fact condoning and applauding the corruption of the English language"
More people should make more objections and turn the tide if possible.

Answer 8

Totally not shot down. Some want to answer as many questions as they can in the small amount of time they have in their schedule. Another, the time and thought put into a question to produce an answer, and you finally get in on the computer, and then... SH*T!!! Here comes the S.S.
You have to push send before you are busted on line at 2 am, because you did type it all out, for God's sake!!!
And the third, Yes, agree, lazy and tired.
Personally, I am a little concerned that I may have answered a question tonight with a on line......
NO Kidding! I fell Asleep! That should have been my sign, but after this, I am listening! Thanks BAB< fell asleep again!lolololol
Thank you for a great question!!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Answer 9

Face facts Stef spelling is not seen as an essential skill in being able to communicate anymore. The English language adapts according to popular usage, so conceivable in the next century the English language could be reduced to text speak, now that really is a scary thought.
P.S. you'll love this: the spell check threw up five mistakes in what I had typed above - and I thought I knew how to spell!!!!

Answer 10

I think it is a combination of both - lazyness and bad spelling!

Lazy typing comes from the 'texting' culture and bad spelling develops from there.

I'm afraid I can only see this one going further down the hill for future generations. The English language unfortunately will be evolved into text type writing. Personally I hate it.

Answer 11

My god I'm glad someone else thinks the same as me. Honestly, it's not that difficult to punctuate properly and use correct grammar, it's not like it takes up more time to type "this" as opposed to "dis" - it's one extra key.
It shows our generations complete laziness. People don't read as much, are spending their time on the computer, and being constantly surrounded by people talking and typing in slang, and without using proper grammar.
I would expect this off a 10 year old, but not a bunch of 17 year olds, or even adults.
I mean, look at the mis spelt words in these answers, and there's even a spell check button included!