being able to spell = being intelligent

Doc · 15-04-2010 07:21AM

I am dyslexic. Most of the time the mistakes I make in my posts are due to me using the wrong word when correcting the spelling of my posts in Microsoft Word. My punctuation and sometimes my grammar have also suffered as a result of my dyslexia, as growing up with dyslexia English was not exactly my favorite subject.

In bulletin boards I always find that people who point out mistakes in other peoples spelling, grammar or use of punctuation are the ones who are dragging down the debate within the treads. They usually have nothing to add to the thread other then pointing out others mistakes which generally are completely irrelevant to the topic of the thread. Even though I am dyslexic, I will often notice if someone has made a mistake in their spelling but as long as what they meant to say is clear then it is pedantic and pointless to correct them.

Incorrect spelling is not a sign of stupidity.

Doc · 15-04-2010 07:27AM

opinion guy wrote: »

Whats the word for it when you completely fail to comprehend what the other person said ?

Misunderstand, misinterpret, misconstrue, miscomprehend… pick one there’s lots.

mcmoustache · 15-04-2010 10:51PM

Doc wrote: »

In bulletin boards I always find that people who point out mistakes in other peoples spelling, grammar or use of punctuation are the ones who are dragging down the debate within the treads. They usually have nothing to add to the thread other then pointing out others mistakes which generally are completely irrelevant to the topic of the thread. Even though I am dyslexic, I will often notice if someone has made a mistake in their spelling but as long as what they meant to say is clear then it is pedantic and pointless to correct them.

I completely agree. I've avoided the urge so far to do so.

Doc wrote: »

Incorrect spelling is not a sign of stupidity.

Strangely enough, It does correlate with stupidity in non-dyslexics. With dyslexics on the other hand, it does not. Studies have shown this - One example from the states. And since dyslexics make up 15% of the population, it makes more sense to assume that an idiot or a kid wrote the poorly spelt post than to think it was a dyslexic. When you hear hooves, think horses not zebras.

paky · 15-04-2010 11:06PM

To correct someones grammar is a sign of ignorance. Ignorance is a sign of stupidity.

OxfordComma · 15-04-2010 11:09PM

I don't think you have to be able to spell correctly to be considered intelligent. A lot of poor spelling is simply down to either a) dyslexia (which obviously doesn't mean you're not intelligent) or b) laziness (which I have very little tolerance towards). Neither of these issues are really related to intelligence.

Giselle · 15-04-2010 11:11PM

I think its pretty rude to correct someone's grammar or spelling, written or spoken.

It seems to say that you're more interested in how someone says something, and not whatever it is they're saying.

paky · 15-04-2010 11:12PM

or maybe lack of schooling?

c-note · 15-04-2010 11:21PM

i knew a guy who could just about solve second order differential equations mentally,
and he wasnt all nerd, he was a sporty type and good company and good conversationalist,
he could spell his own name, it had only 3 letters, but anything beyond that was a bit of a struggle.

conversely, i dont believe being an impeccable speller is an indication of much more than good memory.
i always counted intelligence as mostly processing power, the lact of rules and structure in spelling mean its mostly recall.

if eye where a ghoti, i wood live in the c.

opinion guy · 16-04-2010 12:28AM

Doc wrote: »

I am dyslexic. Most of the time the mistakes I make in my posts are due to me using the wrong word when correcting the spelling of my posts in Microsoft Word. My punctuation and sometimes my grammar have also suffered as a result of my dyslexia, as growing up with dyslexia English was not exactly my favorite subject.

Doc wrote: »

Misunderstand, misinterpret, misconstrue, miscomprehend… pick one there’s lots.

..........does this mean I'm more dyslexic than you ???

CianRyan · 16-04-2010 12:56AM

TheZohan wrote: »

Because some people are dyslexic and it's not their fault?

Bollocks to that, I'm dyslexic and I get by just fine.
Sure, it wasn't easy learning everything but it's not imposable.

For everything I can't get right, I either use spell check, or throw it into Google if the right word isn't coming up.

To be honest, being on the likes of Boards.ie has really helped me, in terms of spelling and grammar.
Hell, I even managed to get a B2 in English on the leaving.
Cheers, Lads.

Edit:
No, spelling and a grasp on grammar are not a measure of how intelligent someone is, but it does bloody annoy me when people don't even try.

OutlawPete · 16-04-2010 01:00AM

CianRyan wrote: »

Bollocks to that..

How quickly they forget that Mod status

I'm the same actually, Google is cracking.

Sometimes it deciphers the most mumbled junk I throw at it, sometimes three words at a time.

I fine Mozilla's spell check to be a nightmare.

I also can't get it off the USA setting :mad:

So don't criticize me

kowloon · 16-04-2010 01:09AM

If I can understand the post it'll do. There's no need for people to get angry about spelling on a message board. Published work would be a different matter. Who wants to spell check their posts on a forum?

dsmythy · 16-04-2010 01:12AM

Giselle wrote: »

I think its pretty rude to correct someone's grammar or spelling, written or spoken.

It seems to say that you're more interested in how someone says something, and not whatever it is they're saying.

Maybe they can learn from it and not make the same spelling mistake again?

CianRyan · 16-04-2010 01:13AM

OutlawPete wrote: »

How quickly they forget that Mod status

I'm the same actually, Google is cracking.

Sometimes it deciphers the most mumbled junk I throw at it, sometimes three words at a time.

I fine Mozilla's spell check to be a nightmare.

I also can't get it off the USA setting :mad:

So don't criticize me

Oh god, I'm using Firefox... The spell check is seriously the worst one I've ever used.
I think mine's stuck on the American setting too, which just confuses the HELL out of me.

Pfft, Mod or not, he was wrong.:rolleyes:

If a question can be wrong...

kowloon wrote: »

If I can understand the post it'll do. There's no need for people to get angry about spelling on a message board. Published work would be a different matter. Who wants to spell check their posts on a forum?

Me, that's who!

I hate finding errors in books, it actually drives me nuts!!

OutlawPete · 16-04-2010 01:18AM

CianRyan wrote: »

I think mine's stuck on the American setting too, which just confuses the HELL out of me.

Yeah, it puts Z's in everything, Realize, Criticize etc.

Then there is Color and Favor :rolleyes:

Sometimes I can be one letter out on a word and it still won't find it.

Google will find words spelled arseways.

CianRyan · 16-04-2010 01:20AM

wrote: »

Maybe they can learn from it and not make the same spelling mistake again?

Definitely.
I refuse to live in a world were it's all right for some one not to be helped to learn, just because some one might pick up the wrong message from it.

And another thing on the same note, I hate that I can't use my vocabulary to it's full extent, because when I do people either look at me strange and think I'm up myself(which I'm not) or they give out to me for using, "big words".

"Sometimes," is a big word, people.

Educate yourself and strive broaden your own mind and those of others.*

*Not giving out to you, Dsmythy. I'm just putting that out there.

nomdeboardie · 16-04-2010 01:42AM

Where’s the Atari option?? Think of the children!

Seriously, though, things get a bit difficult when the mis-spelt string of letters happens to be a real word that means something completely different from the one intended. Of course, as has been said earlier, these aren’t picked up by spellcheckers. E.g. we’re about to lose the word loose to misspelling, although the vagaries of English pronunciation don’t help in cases such as this. (Having said that, I once spent a good 20 minutes arguing that glassware was spelt glasswear… The shame. And the images.)

Goldenquick · 21-04-2010 11:22PM

What an utter load of codswallop! People who cannot spell are intelligent as everyone else, the person that says no they are not, is the person who needs to open their tiny minds and realise that there is a lot more going on in the brain than we well ever know in our lifetimes. I can imagine now that anyone reading this thread who cannot spell correctly will be feeling very inadequate - don't be feeling like that, everyone thank God does not have that opinion.

Just as we all cannot be doctors, scientists, etc. some people cannot spell, it could be dyslexia, it could be a part of the brain that is not running on full functionality that we cannot understand. It could be how they were taught, don't forget that some people are taught how to spell phonetically, that does not mean that they are stupid in any way. I have worked with scientists and let me tell you that the majority of them could not spell for the life of them. How are they unintelligent I ask? :rolleyes:

Just think of something you cannot do yourself - I for the life of me cannot do a jigsaw, even the little wooden ones that are used in playschools! I look at them and just see a jumble of edges and feel myself breaking out in a cold sweat, I would rather sit 5 exams a day/have another 3 children than try to do those jigsaws lol!

being able to spell = being intelligent

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