Quick Poll: Can you spell a word with 3 or more syllables without having to write it down first?

[pickledsiblings]

Just curious really .

I was also wondering if the method by which you learn to read has any bearing on whether or not you can do this.

I learned to read using phonics and I can spell long words out loud without the need to write them down. Friend learned by whole word recognition and she can't (she's an Oxford English graduate btw so I'm not suggesting that one is any better than the other).

Like I said, just curious really - thanks!

I learned using phonics. I don't need to write down words before spelling them.

Absolutely!

Yes, generally I can. I break it into syllables and then spell each section out. For some trickier words I do prefer to write it down so I can check. So I use a mix I guess, but I do use phonics.

I have no memeory of how I was taught at school though. Was at school in the later 70s for primary.

I can't spell anything without writing it down.

I don't write it down to "try it out", but because I can't spell out loud.
same as I can't read out loud.
It's more that my brain goes faster than my mouth and I can't speak what I'm thinking, so it ends up in a stutter.

I am an excellent speller (can't bloody type though!) so when I write something out, it will be correct first time, normally.

oh, and I never learned phonics - I still don't understand them now.

Yes, I can picture it in my head fine without writing it down. I don't think they'd even invented phonics when I learned to read, so definitely whole-word recognition here.

Yes.
Am so old I have forgotten how I learnt to read but guess it was before phonics.

Yes, I can - though like to write it down to check.

I haven't a clue what 'method' I learned to read by - I'm 50, and learned without realising I was doing it. We used to do oral spelling games at junior school; I remember being given 'monofluorophosphate' by a smartarse on the other team and ploughing through it successfully

Yes. Would be rather concerned at an adult who couldn't spell a 3 syllable word in their head. Surely that's very basic?

Although now I come to think of it, I do wiggle my fingers and thumb as though writing, when I'm spelling aloud.

It depends on the word.

I was taught phonics at school, but didn't learn to read that way. I learned by word recognition despite my teachers (rather than because of them). I still struggle to figure out how to say unfamiliar words I read. When I try I tend to get the letters and sounds mixed up (for example, I spent my entire high school career reading carboxylic as carbolyxic; a problem when you're studying chemistry).

Now I don't even try to put a pronunciation to unfamiliar words (which I come across reasonably regularly) because I know I'll get it wrong and it's likely to be embarrassing at some future point. I absolutely do not want to be giving a paper at a conference and have the audience thinking I'm a moron because I can't pronounce the words I use properly.

Similarly, I found learning foreign languages almost impossible. I foolishly tried to take French at university (not as my main course though) and, while I can learn grammar rules, I found it difficult to retain vocab and I found I couldn't match letters and phonemes to sounds at all. The university started your speaking exams with a (supposedly easy) reading aloud exercise that was meant to put you at ease. You weren't expected to know what it meant, but just to read it out and sound like you knew what you were doing. I couldn't do it at all. Other than very obvious common words, I literally couldn't figure out how to pronounce anything. I could decode a written text OK (but did so without knowing how the words were pronounced) and I could speak some French in conversation (but without knowing how anything was written), but I couldn't connect the two. I failed miserably. intrestingly, I found it easier to learn a bit of Japanese because the writing system was completely different (and the basic sounds are easier to learn). I cannot cope at all with romanized Japanese though.

So... I'm not sure how I'd fit with your theory.

Damsel, that's so interesting. I have to admit to being fascinated by all this stuff. Thanks again for humouring me folks .

I learned to read in the early 70s and I'm assuming it was phonetically. I remember having to make words from the sounds that made them up using a sort of scrabble type set up - does that sound familiar to anyone? (I appreciate that I have given a very bad description of it ).

DSM, my friend definitely doesn't find it easy and she doesn't expect her DC to be able to spell any words out loud before writing them down.

It depends on the word. I did once work in an office with a hard to spell word in the address and, if anyone asked how to spell it, I had to read off a compliments slip. I think I am actually quite bad at spelling out loud, as it is hard to remember where you have got to if you haven't written it down, though, no doubt, I could get better with practice. I just see no reason to practise - it is not as if I will entering a spelling bee any time soon.

I can 'see' the words in the air which I know is a bit weird but the words sort of dance out of my mouth and I can spell them in the air. I am not very good at lots of things but am an excellent speller!!

The seeing thing is synesthesia so I have colours for days of the week and names and things.........makes life colourful!!

Yes - I see it written in my head and read out the letters iyswim.

Not sure how I learnt to read; my mum says I could read before I went to school, using Ladybird books, so I'm guessing it was whole word recognition. However I also instinctively use phonics to read new/unfamiliar words, so maybe also learnt phonics at school!

I learnt by word recognition. I could spell a three or four syllable word out loud with no difficulty. I'm also very good at reading unfamiliar words, too, and generally a good speller - though interestingly I am worse when I am typing. I think if you have a natural aptitude for reading, you will probably sort of intuit the rules behind how words are constructed anyway so it doesn't really make that much difference how you are taught.

Yes I can.

I learnt to read at an independent school. The schools around us taught ITA at the time, lots of people my age seem to have difficulty spelling.

I don't know how I learned to read.

Yes I can spell 3 or more syllable words without writing them down. I also "visualise" them in my head as some other posters do and just read them out.

I am not good at spelling out loud - I would need to visualise the word in my head and read the letters from that, if that makes sense. I prefer to write the word down and see if its shape looks right.

Learned to read in the late 70s with Peter and Jane books when I told my mum I wanted to ve able to read. I assume not phonics based approach. Am generally a good speller but do occasionally have problems with unfamiliar words.

My dad taught me how to read when I was very small. I was his pet project :) I can't recall his methods though. I can spell long words without writing them down, even words like onomatopoeia and opopanax :o

Yes, am surprised that you wouldn't be able to. Not in a condescending way, just never pondered how other people 'see' words.

DD is 4yo and can spell out 3 syllable words and says she can 'see them in her head' which is largely what I do I think. Of course they're easy 3 syllable words like 'fantastic' or 'opening'. Nothing tricky. DD that is, not me. It's late. I'm rambling.

DSM: "

Yes. Would be rather concerned at an adult who couldn't spell a 3 syllable word in their head. Surely that's very basic?"

Why be concerned? There isn't much practical need to spell words without writing them down. I think I only ever do it when I am helping somebody else who isn't a good speller, or if I have to spell my own name or street name when giving details on the phone.

I can do it, but I don't see that people need to be able to do it. It's just a party trick, isn't it?

To answer the poll:

Yes, always.

I don't remember how I learned to read because I was quite young. Spelling has always come easily to me.

Yes I can. Spelling is just one of those things I can do, always have been able to. I do it by the syllables, so I may say 'tran sub stan see ay shun' to myself as I write. I'm a superfast typist by the same method.

My mum taught me to read before I went to school - I personally think I learned largely from word/syllable recognition from what she describes.

Raspberry, really ITA? you mean the phonetic reading books? I had a couple of those as a child, I really liked them but I understand the scheme overall was a bit of a disaster?