Erin Brenner at the Writing Resource asks: “Does spelling still matter?”
It does. It matters a lot.
Some people think worrying about spelling and grammar is anal and backward. They are wrong.
There are two reasons why spelling and grammar are important and will remain important for as long as people still read printed words:
First: Well-written, properly spelt (I’m British, this is allowable), grammatically correct English is unambiguous.
Poorly written English is more open to misinterpretation.
If being understood is important, then worry about spelling and grammar.
Second: Well-written text flows, it’s a pleasure to read. It sends readers a message about your professionalism and wisdom. It is credible.
Poorly-written English jerks around, causes readers to stumble, they may not realise why this sets off alarm bells in their heads, but it does.
Too much poor English and they’ll question the message. This may not happen on a conscious level. It may not happen with all readers. It will happen enough for it to matter.
“may not matter”.
I somehow make the same typo all the time too.
oops .. “may not realize”. Lost my train of thought…
“Poorly-written English jerks around, causes readers to stumble, they may now realise why this sets off alarm bells in their heads, but it does.”
“they may now realise”
Hmmmm… Something about this is setting off alarm bells in my head.
@Bruce, @Daniel
Ah yes, thanks for pointing that out.
I have no end of trouble proofing my own writing on screen. In fact, I’ve written about this elsewhere…
It matters to me, especially given that Spell Checkers mean no excuse. If you can’t spell, you won’t work for me. When you write, for whatever reason, you represent and reflect yourself.
I’m not perfect, especially when I’m in a hurry, but with today’s technology there is no excuse.