Why do internet folks misspell the word 'LOSER'? (LOOSER?)?

Question

Enough is enough. It seems that 90 percent of internet posters misspell the word 'LOSER'.

Notice?

LOOSER??

Any theories? (Maybe the 'O' key got stuck? Is it done on purpose? Are people bad spellers?)

Yeah--there are other things to gripe about but this is getting out of hand.

My theory is that people see others misspelling it and think it is the correct way to spell the word.

What losers they are.

Answer 1

Funny...I have actually not noticed anyone spelling "loser" incorrectly, but I very frequently see "misspell" spelled incorrectly. I have to congratulate you on getting it right, because that's the first thing I looked for.

Not everyone has your education, and they do the best they can. Consider yourself lucky, and go thank your parents.

Answer 2

I think the reason stretches back to habits at school, at our formative years. If parents and children don't pay attention to spelling, and teachers also fail to correct errors by being strict, this type of mistake is bound to happen. A little discipline from all concerned, at a young age, would help.
The internet and the communication revolution that it has spawned, including chat, SMS, etc., also contribute to misspelled words being used.
One reason is also that many words have similar spelling and some confusion is bound to occur, particularly for those who basically aren't good in spelling. Apart for loser/looser, other common mistakes we find would be their/there, price/prize, whether/weather, etc.
The problem cannot be solved unless individuals themselves make conscious efforts to improve their spelling.
Incidentally, I find that the spell check for answers on YA does not appear nowadays. I wonder if this is only on my computer or others too have noticed this. If anyone else here has the same experience, I would request them to write an e mail to me. Thanks.

EDIT: The first line in the third para above should read:
"One reason is also that many words have similar pronunciation...." (please replace the word 'spelling' with the word 'pronunciation'). Sorry for the error.

Answer 3

Pure, unadulterated laziness.

They hear the "oo" sound, as in "moo" and think that "loser" or "lose" MUST then be spelled "looser" or "loose." I think very few people actually look up words anymore, preferring to spell it how it sounds, because people will "figure it out."

I think another person also answered with a likely possibility that is also in play: Monkey see, monkey do - see it spelled wrong, spell it wrong.

If children were better educated, we would be able to communicate better.

Edit: The limitations of spell check should not be a valid excuse for verifying one's written communications. A quick read-through of what has been written should reveal any such errors.

Answer 4

This is a typical case of check spelling not being perfect .. also remember that loser and looser are both words .. you and I know the difference but others don't .. if you see it, the polite thing to do, and will give you satisfaction, is to let them know their mistake and explain the difference in the two words ::: do it with a smile, people really appreciate help from happy instructive people

Answer 5

I've seen many intelligent people who were horrible at spelling. Even some with master's degrees. And I doubt it's just internet folks who misspell ! Some people are just in a big hurry. Too much of a hurry to even use the spell check !

Answer 6

Perhaps spell check thinks they mean LOOSER, as in a coat a size too large....

rather than the LOSER, who comes in last in a race

Answer 7

If you pay attention to the questions asked, I'd say half or more have multiple words improperly spelled. Thank your parents and your teachers that you can spell.

Answer 8

Many may not see a difference, like with diner and dinner or latter and later, and since they slur the sound, they type what they hear

Answer 9

The internet rots your brain.

Answer 10

Because many people are uneducated.

There's no need to explain more than that.