Friday, February 20, 2009

Spell Checking

Ode to a Spell Checker

Eye halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea.
It plainly marks four my revue miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a quay and type a word and weight for it to say
Weather eye yam wrong oar write.
It shows me strait a weigh as soon as a mist ache is maid.
It nose bee fore two long and eye can put the error rite.
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it,
I am shore your pleased to no.
Its letter perfect awl the way.
My checker told me sew.
Author unknown

Spell checking software is helpful, and clearly has its limits. If you are of the age to perform mystery shopping and are not a proficient speller, I can recommend a couple solutions.

First, get educated. If that means taking online lessons, do it! There are many resources online, free and confidential.

Second, take advantage of the power of the synonym. If you are writing a narrative and run across a word you just aren't sure how to spell, think of another word to use!

Finally, get a good dictionary and keep it by your computer. It will help you determine the correct usage for effect/affect, lay/lie, who/whom and many more.

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