Correct Spelling

[#1]

If you want to spell a word correctly then you look in the English dictionary unless you already know it but what is spelling ?

Should words not be easy to understand and not contain unnecessary letters ? Some people express annoyance with the use of American spelling ie; color rather than colour. but spelling, the meaning of some words and language are under constant change as can be see if we compare documents going back over the centuries.

Agreed we need a standard but is it really important to get every word spelt correctly providing we can understand it.

[#2]

Yes.

[#3]

Yes.

[#4]

We have a standard, it's called "English", it's just other countries have re-interpreted it over the years and ruined the language in doing so...

[#5]

Yes.....

[#6]

These days I find it necessary to use 2 dictionaries.

The Oxford English Dictionary and urbandictionary.com

[#7]

[#8]

With regards to American spelling of English words I seem to recall that like Canadian French it bears a closer resemblance to original English than our own, but if I'm honest it does irritate especially when we get to confuse words like cheque or check both of which mean something completely different - and as for fanny, or that robot called Bender in Futurama!   

[#9]

"Yes, but with reservations", is my take on the matter. Grammar and spelling are not written on stone tablets; were they our language would be more Germanic, with conjugation of verbs, declension of nouns and so on. I'd much rather a language develop naturally, than have to abide by  imposed rules. What are the nouns for: a) your father's mother, b) your father's father? Enforced rules would probably insist on 'granddad'. In German reform of 1996.

• Schiffahrt became Schifffahrt from Schiff (ship) + Fahrt (journey). There's a lot of f in German is just one example of how diktat can bring clumsiness.           

Language is for communication, and in most absolute accuracy is unneeded. Once I heard  someone say  someone wasn't worth a loan because his letter was illiterate. He had a nice little business!

Simplification has happened throughout time. Fewer use conditional and subjunctive tenses, and the likes of, "if I was her, I would...". Leave aside the ungrammatical 'her'. How can I be a 'was', and as a male a 'her'?

[#10]

hehe, fart...

[#11]

---

@gleneagles wrote:
is it really important to get every word spelt correctly providing we can understand it.

---

This reminded me of this:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Or rather...

According to a researcher (sic) at Cambridge University, it doesn't matter in what order the letters in a word are, the only important thing is that the first and last letter be at the right place. The rest can be a total mess and you can still read it without problem. This is because the human mind does not read every letter by itself but the word as a whole.

While I tend to agree with the Yes answer the majority are responding with, in practice, it doesn't actually matter as much as some might think.

[#12]

Ok then, thinking about this and correctness of spelling etc. What about pronouncing it correctly too?  like adding a letter to what is correctly spelled in the first place.

Take the word FAST spelt right therefore pronounced right..ermm..wrong. People insist on adding an extra letter and pronouncing it as FARST. Why?  Same with the word Passing, the 'R' is added yet again for no reason and it gets pronounced 'Parssing'. Weird. Why can't people talk proper like what I can talk it.?.

[#13]

Language has to ebb and flow like everything else in this life and Gods forbid that even though English is to French as Yiddish is to German, we should be like our Gallic cousins with their Académie française and such nonsense as ordinateur instead of computer in a desperate attempt to protect both language and spelling.

Slightly off beam, but both back and hackles rise when I am required to dispense with such pronouns as he and she and use one instead or use she when it's obviously a he. But do I go along with it, well yes and finding myself using such terms as guys for both genders and partner instead of husband or wife.

But back on track, should pronunciation change to match spelling, rather than simply changing spelling to match pronunciation. Well to be quite honest, I dunno. 

[#14]

Spelling  and grammar is important for the correct interpretation of what has been written. Consider the following:

Dear John:

I want a man who knows what love is all about.

You are generous, kind, thoughtful.

People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior.

You have ruined me for other men.

I yearn for you.

I have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart.

I can be forever happy.

Will you let me be yours?

Gloria

With different punctuation:

Dear John:

I want a man who knows what love is.

All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you.

Admit to being useless and inferior.

You have ruined me.

For other men, I yearn.

For you, I have no feelings whatsoever.

When we’re apart, I can be forever happy.

Will you let me be?

Yours,

Gloria

or

Misuse of 'their, there, they're' or 'your, you're' can be a bit annoying

[#15]

@twocvbloke

'hehe, fart...' 

Avoidance of swear filter by using German, so I've reported that post to the mods!