Definately contraversial

[Nancy66]

But when people can't spell do you automatically assume they're a bit thick?

I do, I'm afraid.

no

Erm, yes, so do I.

I don't know how to tell you this but ...

Oh never mind

I don't think 'thick' but I do always notice.

no i don't. i teach lots with SNs

ROFL

No. My spelling often has it's moments, and I am not thick (have a first class honours degree - bachelor of dental surgery).

However I do find people who point out peoples errors in spelling and grammar on threads to be rather rude.

But no, I don't actually.

Nice thread title.

My first impulse is 'thick' but second is 'might be dyslexic'. Actually first is possibly 'they were just in a rush' when it's one mistake on here. Only if they make lots of errors, or the same error again and again, do I start judging.

People just seem to be very lazy about writing. Can't be bothered to look stuff up in the dictionary. If I knew there was a word I got wrong all the time, I'd look it up and try to remember!

No, since two of the brightest people I know (a friend who recently got his PhD plus my Mum) can't spell for toffee.

I used to have to get my Mum to read through her shopping lists to make sure I would understand them . . .

Dear oh dear, the thread title is a joke.

lol at edam. 2 words. two misspells. nice one. maybe op was trying to catch us out.

Edam, I know that my Mum always used to despair at people who said 'why don't you look it up in the dictionary?' As she pointed out, to do that, you have to figure out which letter it will start with, and probably the next two or three letters as well.

I do with some spellings, not the ones in your OP though.
Brought, instead of bought, and of, instead of have, yes definately.

My spelling and grammar is far from perfect but I hope doesn't make me look thick. Some words I'm not sure of, and I know my grammar can be iffy but it's not totaly riciculous.

I do love when people want to get their kids into grammer school though. Makes me snigger every time.
I also make typos and can't be bothered to correct them.

(FWIW, I remember the two in the OP with finite and controversy. Easy to work out how to spell them from that)

Definitely and controversial must be the two most commonly misspelt - especially on here.

I have the mathematical ability of an eight-year-old so, I daresay, others think I'm dim when I can't split a restaurant bill between four people.

I don't think it's the same. Much more acceptable to be a mathematical dunce than have dodgy literacy for some reason. I remember reading a review about an episode of University Challenge where one team was ridiculed for doing lightning calculations and not knowing some arcane piece of information that the reviewer thought was a better indicator of intelligence.

I think badly educated and not their fault. I think sodding "learning through play". I think sodding educationalists thinking that spelling and times tables stultify the soul.

I'm a bit old fashioned.

...independant is another that always troubles me.

When I read this, I wonder about the contents of a rap star's locket.

However, I should be careful before judging. I recently sent what I believe young persons refer to as a 'txt message' to a ferociously pedantic (and ludicrously well educated) friend. In this 'txt' I shamefully used 'of' where 'have' was required.

....she has mocked me mercilessly since. My defence (flimsy, yet tenaciously held) is that this error was deliberate and ironic.

This was another mistake, prompting a lecture about the careless use of the word 'ironic'.

You didn't, you didn't use 'would of' instead of 'would have'. Tell me you didn't.

I think I may of have done Quattrocento.

Sometimes, the shame of concealing such a crime is lessened by telling others, and unburdening oneself of guilt.

Sadly, this is not one of those times.

I think I may of have done Quattrocento.

Sometimes, the shame of concealing such a crime is lessened by telling others, and unburdening oneself of guilt.

Sadly, this is not one of those times.

No I don't assume they are thick - (except in the case of Katie and Peter trying to spell "rhetorical" on their show on Thursday - hysterical ).

Unless you have specific difficulties such as dyslexia, then spelling is not that tricky once you know the rules. I am good at spelling, but it's because I had a great English teacher.

Were you drunk?
Afflicted with predictive text?

Ah well, bad stuff happens ... Come out of your ball, rg.

I think the same as stuffitllama. And then I get a bit weepy about the fact that dd will probably never learn any Latin at school.

Depends on the context.

In a hastily written email/text/mn post, then I think 'typo' and 'rushed' and, sometimes (and particularly if it's me) then 'careless'.

If in a CV or speculative approach for work, I think 'thick for not using the bloody spell check and thick for thinking the reader won't notice or care'. And 'if you really wanted a job you'd have proof read this, so stop wasting my time'. Either way they're no good to me.

If it's a common mistake, I think, lucky me for having a pedantic mother who helped me learn to spell despite being borderline dyslexic.

But thick for the poor spelling itself? No. Badly taught, failed somewhere along the line, but not thick.

takver, but that's dyslexia, presumably. I'm referring to people who do not have any actual difficulty in reading, they just can't be arsed.

And IME people with dyslexia try a lot harder than most of us to get things right, asking other people to check spellings and working out strategies for remembering words. There must be people for whom it is even more difficult, but IME again people with dyslexia put the rest of us to shame with the efforts THEY make.