Newsletter and Grammar Coach

The English language is a minefield of potential spelling errors. Inconsistencies in spelling schemes abound, enough to trip all but the most accomplished spelling bee contestants. Many spelling pattern variations are attributable to etymology, as the modern English language is a mishmash of words borrowed from other languages.

Spelling in our lumpy language can be particularly tricky for people who have some types of learning disabilities, notably dyslexia. People of all abilities may encounter difficulty with homophones — words that have identical pronunciations but different spellings. Their attempts at phonetic spelling, by “sounding out” words, are admirable, creative — and also often unintentionally amusing.

People encounter spelling difficulties when trying to write a word that they have heard, but may not have seen or recognized in print. We jotted down some of the most remarkable examples we have encountered during the past three decades.

The draft of a manuscript contained a passage that began, “Sean was worried that he would not be able to recognize the distinctive pattern coming in from the south. Low and behold, he discovered two strips of land, about two miles apart, 500 feet wide, and each about 10 miles long, marking the spot unambiguously.” The proper phase is lo and behold, in which “lo” is an archaic word for the verb “look,” and also is used alone to express wonder or surprise, as in “Lo, a rainbow suddenly materialized.”

Instructions that an exercise physiology coach wrote advised that “incorrect use of barbells can put undo stress on injured muscles and joints.” The verb “undo” means to reverse the effects of something, but in the example sentence, the coach should have used the adjective undue, meaning “unnecessary,” “inappropriate” or “improper.”

A sentence in a manuscript draft read “Selma was surprised by Gil’s lude comments.” The word “lude” occurs in the English language only as a slang reference to quaalude, a methaqualone pill. The writer meant that Gil’s comments were lewd (crude, obscene or vulgar).

In an email message to parents regarding scheduling changes for an upcoming “open house” event, a teacher wrote, “please bare with me.” Some parents who took notice of the faux pas and realized that nothing salacious was intended might have been amused by the unintentional reference to disrobing (“bare”). Of course, the teacher should have written, “Please bear with me.”

“Of all the places that fall into this jonra, this one is best,” a consumer wrote on an online review platform. A spell-check function should have flagged that misspelling of the word genre.

However, no simple spell check application would have detected the error in the news story that referred to a “loan gunman” who robbed a convenience store. The robber wasn’t seeking a loan; he stole money at gunpoint. The correct adjective in this instance is lone (solitary, single).

“The president’s actions in this sorted affair leave a lot to be desired,” a report declared. Unfortunately, misspelling of the word sordid in that sentence was distracting.

In a commentary about the futility of sending a persuasive message to an already sympathetic audience, someone wrote, “you’re preaching to the quire.” Yes, the intended word was choir, but someone who spells by “sounding out” words won’t ordinarily conclude that the word begins with “c-h-o.” The intended word in this instance has a “k” or “qu” sound, which drove that writer’s spelling attempt.

Another writer described a man whose characteristics included “a shock of unkept brown hair.” Well, we’re guessing the guy intended to keep his hair, unruly though it may have been. The correct word is unkempt, meaning untidy or tangled.

A discussion about a family name led someone to inquire about a “sir name.” Yes sir, that interpretation can prompt a grin, but that is indeed the way that the intended word surname sounds.

Frustration, complaints and misery about the year 2020 abound, but imagine the straits of the poor fellow who wrote in a Facebook post, “Good riddens to a lousy year.” Nice try, but no cigar for the attempt to spell riddance.

The website of a yoga clinic offered this wince-inducing sentence about treatment of a painful condition: "When it comes to counteracting the less serious effects of carpet tunnel syndrome, poses that reverse the repetitive motions are effective." That could have been a typing error rather than a genuine spelling mistake in an attempt to write carpal tunnel syndrome.

An advertisement for a Dallas condominium available for rent said that “Popular points of interest near the apartment include AT&T Performing Arts Center, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial and Dallas Holocaust Museum. The nearest airport is Dallas Love Field, 5 miles from this luxury condo in the mist of downtown.” Although summer weather in Dallas can be muggy, the ad likely was not referring to moisture. The intended word was midst, not “mist.”

In the question-and-answer section of the website of a lawyers’ collective, a defendant wrote: “What will happen to me if I am charged with shoplifting? Earlier I got [charged with] shoplifting for $40 worth of stuff in a store. I got arrested, and the cop took me in and finger printed me and read me my Miranda rights. I am 18 and charged with a mister meaner.” Well, rest assured that we’re not going to say anything mean about that misguided but earnest attempt to spell misdemeanor.

Terms in other languages can be especially troublesome for people who are unfamiliar with those words in writing. A web page describing how to make party favors for children included these instructions: “After putting the long strip all the way around the pin yada, make sure you poke holes where are you want the rope to go later.” The writer was referring to a piñata, a decorated figure containing candy or other treats.

In a Seattle newspaper, a music reviewer wrote, “This four-piece [band] hails from Gainesville, Florida. The self-titled debut isn't bad, per say, but it does have a guilty-pleasure feel that may have been better received in the hazy days of summer.” The reviewer may have been unaware of the proper spelling of the term per se, which refers to an intrinsic characteristic.

A book describing English country estates included this passage: “Gardens, stable, studio, woods, a pond (it would dry up), and a country house in which to entertain guests for weekends: Ten Chimneys had ‘that certain Genesee quoi’ that would draw people of all ages.” Well, “Genesee quoi” was a swing and a miss for je ne sais quoi, a French phrase that refers to an elusive, indefinable quality.

Description about a relationship that developed among co-workers included the statement that they “developed a comradery that permeated their interactions.” The writer likely was influenced by the word “comrade,” but the elusive spelling of the intended word is camaraderie, derived from a French word referring to mutual trust, friendship and loyalty among a group of people.

A proposed funding reduction in a collegiate athletics program prompted this written rebuke: “As a current grad assistant, I am uphauled by this decision. I am planning on doing everything that I can to reverse this decision.” Of course, the proper spelling of the word is appalled.

The English language is peppered with words that have tricky spellings. Spell-checkers in word-processing and other applications can be helpful in many instances. If you’re unsure about how to even begin spelling a word, try entering it in a Google search, either alone or as part of a phrase. Google’s algorithms are pretty good about interpreting spellings that miss the mark, and suggesting legitimately spelled alternatives. Spell checkers won’t detect improperly exchanged homophones such as bare / bear or near-homophones such as mist / midst / missed, but lo and behold, a dictionary can help you determine which spelling is correct, depending on context.

Over the course of his life as an academic researcher, food scientist and geographer Louis Grivetti spent considerable time in Greece between the mid-1960s and the early 21st century, exploring the Greek mainland and islands. His travels to study archaeological and historical artifacts brought him in contact not only with fellow scholars, but also with villagers in isolated settlements where people still invoke ancient spells and offerings to ancient gods and goddesses in pursuit of cures for health ailments.

Grivetti traversed the length and breadth of the country by boat, on foot, and by bicycle, from northeastern Thrace, to the southern Peloponnesus; across Macedonia from the Aegean Sea to the Ionian Sea. Along the way, he learned about cultural and dietary traditions, rites and festivals, and customs of the ancient past. In his latest book Musings from the Field: Volume 3 — Greece, Grivetti has consolidated and described much of what he learned on those exploratory journeys.

Lou and his wife, Georgette, attended ancient Greek plays at the Theatre of Epidaurus; they walked beneath the Lion Gate at Mycenae and marveled at the size and grandeur of the cyclopean walls that defined that ancient citadel and traditional home of Agamemnon; they visited the Island of Kos, the ancient home and healing center of medical pioneer Hippocrates; and they traced their fingers over the graffiti letters that Lord Byron carved on the wall of the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.

This book is the third and concluding volume of Louis Grivetti’s Musings From the Field series. In all, he has documented more than 50 years of fieldwork and family activities in that part of the world. Musings From The Field: Volume 3 — Greece is the eighth book that Grivetti has published through Book Prep.

Grivetti is intentionally restricting distribution of the 228-page printed book, making it accessible only to academic libraries, colleagues, family members and friends, an option available with Book Prep. This is the 31st book that Book Prep has produced for authors during the past four years.

As part of the Book Prep package, EditPros professionally formatted the interior pages of Grivetti’s books, designed the cover for each, and readied them for print publication. EditPros also formatted and converted the files of other books that Grivetti specified into e-book formats for sale through Amazon (Kindle), Apple (iBooks), Barnes & Noble (Nook), and Kobo, by means of submission to IngramSpark’s e-book service.

With Book Prep, authors retain all rights to their books, and collect 100 percent of sales royalties.

LEARN MORE about the EditPros Book Prep service.

Cora S. wrote:

The grammar coach replies:

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