230 English Grammar Demystifi ed
good reason. Some are natural spellers, learning to spell and retaining the spellings
very easily. For others, spelling is a lifelong problem. If you have spelling problems,
however, having a plan of attack really helps.
If you can’t rely on yourself to spell words correctly at least 98 percent of the
time, spelling is a concern that may cause you considerable worry. Your readers
notice the errors immediately. If you are submitting writing to teachers, test exam-
iners, or employers—even friends—poor spelling creates a bad impression. Inter-
estingly, these people may place undue emphasis on spelling, ignoring the brilliant
argument, the correct answer, or the dazzling description. Your only choice is to
improve your spelling.
Interesting, too, is that even though people use word processors equipped with a
spell-checker, there are still times when people need to write. Consequently,
although many adults can read well at work, they do all they can to avoid writing
because of their fear of and embarrassment over their spelling.
If there is any comfort in it, you should know that poor spellers are not alone.
Some very famous, successful people have had signifi cant problems with spelling.
One of the more surprising examples is Alfred Mosher Butts, the inventor of the
game Scrabble who said to a reporter, “I’m really a terrible speller.” Perhaps devel-
oping the game was his way of tackling the problem. Other famous people on the
poor-spellers list may surprise you. Note that most had learning disabilities that if
noticed today would probably be treatable. Many on the list were or are dyslexic
(having a disability that makes understanding written language and actually writing
language very diffi cult), which would account for serious spelling problems. Some
notable poor spellers include Albert Einstein, Norman Rockwell, Winston Churchill,
Agatha Christie, Thomas Edison, General George Patton, and Charles Schwab.*
This is only a partial list of famous people who had trouble reading and writing.
Each one attacked the problem in a different way, but the way was always diffi cult.
Undoubtedly, your spelling problem, if you have one, is not as serious as those you
just read about; however, whatever your need—from a simple review to a serious
spelling makeover—try the following suggestions and practices to improve your
spelling. And by the way, please don’t ever send an e-mail or other electronic mes-
sage without fi rst using the spell-checker!
*Most of these quotes were originally published on Susan Barton’s “Bright Solutions
for Dyslexia” website. They are reprinted with written permission of Susan Barton.
Fuller descriptions were added by Steve Miller. To learn more about dyslexia, go to:
http://www.BrightSolutions.US.