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Is Typing Ruining Your Ability To Spell?

Posted by Soulskill on from the my-spellchecker-sure-thinks-so dept.

NSN A392-99-964-5927 writes "My handwriting abilities have deteriorated over the years. Putting a real pen to paper, I get frustrated over how to spell correctly, as I am so accustomed to using a keyboard and knowing where the letters are. Having spoken to a few friends, I've found that this has become apparent to them, too. I've noticed that my grammar is also affected; maybe this is because I spent too much time on IRC and lowered my standards. Hand-written words are now becoming obsolete. There is often no need to think about writing anymore, or about how something is spelled. Are other Slashdotters having the same problem? (I'm used to Telex machines, which should give you an indication of how old I am.)"

5 of 494 comments (clear)

  1. I don't know, but... by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...using a spelling-correcting keyboard has made my typing skills deteriorate noticeably. It's especially noticeable when I'm trying to use vi.

    1. Re:I don't know, but... by TheEldest · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The OP didn't say he relies on spellcheck, but that his fingers know how to spell when his head doesn't.

      I've got the same problem. Words like receive are no problem when I'm typing, but if I put pen to paper, I need to stop and think. When many people type, they think the word, not the letter. Their hands put the words from thought to type with no intermediate thought needed.

      I spell by muscle memory, not thought. I'm sure the same works for people who write all the time. The pen just makes the words they need.

      So how about you get off your high horse, read what the OP actually said instead of what you thought he said, and fuck off.

  2. I'm getting better. by tthomas48 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My IM client (pidgin) underlines misspelled words in red, as does firefox, so I've found that my spelling has actually been getting better. I tend to actually learn the correct spelling over time.

  3. Spelling? by PeanutButterBreath · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My handwriting has gone to crap, but what does that have to do with spelling? If anything, I would think that spelling would be more likely to improve, thanks to the slower pace of writing by hand. I pay more attention to what I am writing when I have to take the time to write it out by hand.

    If the quality of your writing is going down, I suspect that has to do with the quality of the writing you are consuming.

  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion