Thursday, February 23, 2012

Spellcheck is not your friend

I'm not the Grammar Witch.  That honor belongs to several of my friends. I'm not even a good speller. But certain things do pop out and grab my attention when I'm reading someone else's manuscript.

Spellcheck told one person that this was correct:
1. She peaked into the open box.
peaked?  The word is spelled correct, but the the sentence wants the word, "peeked."

2. She knew that everything was going to be alright.
Again, the word is spelled correctly, but that sentence needs to be "all right."
(and I'm only partway through this manuscript.  I'm sure I'll find more.)

What's that old poem about spellcheck?
(You can find the origin of this poem here at About.com.)

Candidate for a Pullet Surprise
by Mark Eckman and Jerrold H. Zar
I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore a veiling checker's
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know fault's with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped word's fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.






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