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I am a journalist, and as a journalist, accuracy in spelling, along with accuracy in everything else, really matters. Incorrect spelling, sometimes called "Creative Spelling" or "Ebonics" makes both reading and communication difficult. Communication is often difficult under the best of circumstances, and poor spellling compounds the problem.
Virginia Ann Davis, USA

It matters a lot if you want to get an interview for a job in my company! Poor spelling on CVs says that the individual can not produce work to a given standard, no matter how highly qualified they might be. Acceptance of poor spelling is another indication of the general decline in personal standards.
Chris Lawton, England

I am an 11 year old student I have been studying in England for just 2 years. Britain gave the world the finest language. Correct spelling is the cornerstone of that language.
P.Neshead, UK

Do not try to repeat the same mistakes German speaking countries did in the last few years when "reforming" spelling. If a language is alive it needs changes. Otherwise it is a poor language and going to die.
Martin Wachutka, Austria

I have a spelling checker.
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot see.
Eye ran this poem threw it.
Your sure real glad two no.
Its very polished in its weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a blessing.
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays comes posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore a veiling checkers
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're laks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
There are know faults with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.
Now spelling does not phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped words fare as hear.
Of witch won should be proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too please.
Amanda Selvaratnam, UK

Spelling is the key to learning English well.
Oscar, Taiwan

Of course spelling matters. It is like saying detail doesn't matter. Disregard for proper spelling is lowering standards one more level. There is a lot to learn in the world, and language should form a solid base for that learning.
Tricia Dee, Canada

Thank God or actually Bill Gates for spell checker in our word program.
Ramu, Malaysia

To know the meaning of a word, it is important to define only one spelling for each word.
Pablo Lledo, Argentina

YES! I do beleive that English spelling be standardised. More importantly, since English is NOT the official language of the United States of America, the spellings used by an ever increasing majority of the motley collection of their ethnic groups who speak that highly modified form of English only as a second langauage and with widely varying degrees of difficulty, can only be considered unofficial and should, therefore, be summarily discarded. To say nothing of the "Black English" they are now introducing into schools there!
Dougal Paterson, Philippines

Bernard Richards may be good at spelling but his treatment of statistics is apalling. Measuring the number of different spelling mistakes, as he did, is an almost meaningless measure. Accurate spelling is no help unless you actually understand the topic.
Lucian Wischik, UK

Changes in spelling today are nothing more than an attempt to spell words more phonetically. I see nothing wrong with writing English the way it actually sounds instead of relying on archaic rules which which are outdated, anyway, as long as people know what you're taking about.
Adam Zeller, USA

Spelling is not as important as people make out. Its only purpose is so that we can distinguish one word from another. What is probably more important is that people have a large enough vocabulary to express themselves in the way that want and even this isn't too important if we can express ourselves well with simple words.
Its all about communication - if we can communicate what we want to, in the way that we want to then there's no problem - anything else is being pedantic.
Naoise O'Boyle, Ireland

If somebody can't be bother to spell correctly, can they be bothered to get the information correct?
Paul Russell, UK

There is a big difference between fluidity or flexibility in language and bad spelling. Yes, English is a growing and changing language, but we need to draw the line between innovative, natural language change which has always occured (such as the American contributions/dialects which some would call bastardizations of English), and plain ignorance and laziness (such as that found in university students to CEO's making spelling mistakes easily looked up).
Alpha Schram, USA

CVs and job applications by teachers at the local school are scanned for spelling errors, more than two and they are not considered. I expect this policy used elsewhere, so in this competitive world spelling does matter.
M.Graham, USA

I'm English, but I've been living in the US for 10 years now, and the spelling and punctuation differences are some of the most difficult things to comes to terms with.
One thing it does make you realize though, is that spelling and punctuation really do not matter - in the big picture - but for the little picture, you have to be accurate because there are certain people who have never had to fundamentally change the way they think, and who cannot see beyond a misspelled word, in Britain or the U.S. (Or anywhere) This must go very deep.
Louise Hester, USA

A person is either educated or is not! Incorrect spelling is an indication of lack of education at best; at worst, just sloppiness.
James F. Balderson, USA

Does the National Curriculum include spelling tests? I remember having periodic tests at school from an early age, and I am sure that this contributed significantly to my spelling abilities now.
I think it is quite alarming that there are many young people only a few years younger than me that cannot spell correctly (I am 26).
Anthony Cole, England

As a truly bad speller myself, I have to say that spelling matters. It affects every part of my life. I am unable to write even the shortest note to anyone except close friends without a rough draft and a good dictionary. Sometimes I can't even ues the words I want because I have no idea how to spell them. In this computer age spelling really matters, if you can't spell it you can't find it. And now I live in the USA I can't spell in UK or US english!
Ruth Gavin, Brit in the USA

Frustrated with the effort it takes to educate children, our teaching professionals advocate lowering the standard. The "whole language" approach was sold on the California school system years ago. The results: a generation that cannot spell, but feel good about it.
Learning takes discipline, a discipline that the children must take home and apply. If the parents of this world are collectively unwilling to encourage discipline in their children, the world will continue to take steps backwards.
Douglas Stevens, USA

Correct spelling is important because in most cases the spelling of a word influences its pronunciation. This word itself is a good example: pronunciation but not pronounciation but to pronounce and not to pronunce.
Sven van der Mespel, Hong Kong SAR

Our spelling system is archaic (have I spelt that right?) and its change is inevitable. How often do you pronouce "knight" with a "K"??
P. Cox, student of English Language and Linguistics (Durham Uni), England

English has the most complex spelling rules around. Most words are spelt the way a local printer thought they sounded three hundred years ago. All other European languages have undergone spelling reform to standardise(ize!) - why not us?
Christopher Boomer, Northern Ireland

For the sake of linguistic continuity and common standards I would say that it does matter. If spelling was de-emphasised (not de-emphasized, please!) then there could potentially be several different interpretations of any given word, depending upon who you spoke to and where they lived (a separate issue to dialect).
This could lead to errors in documentation, printed literature like magazines and books, and incompatability between computer databases, which could all have legal ramifications. Why have this? We have a good working system as it is, accepted worldwide. Words are generally spelt has they have been for some time, and are understood by everyone, providing a benchmark for anyone.
Adrian Taylor, UK

There is certainly one particular context in which correct spelling is essential: when writing for an international audience. A reader for whom English is a second language can find a word in a dictionary only if the spelling is standard. It is very insular to think that free expression is more important than adherence to orthographic rules. English is not our private domain, it belongs to the world.
Andy Cook, France

The question isn't a fair one. No-one would ever say that spelling doesn't matter: of course it does. The question should be 'Does the occasional mis- spelling matter?', since this is what is really at issue.
It is ludicrous to suggest that the spelling 'greatfully' is epidemic at Oxford University, by taking what are undoubtedly a fine collection of howlers by a minority of students who should know better. English students should certainly be expected to have near-perfect spelling, and should be penalized if not; but they are being examined on more than their ability to know how many aitches there are in withheld.
Spelling should always be correct and there are no excuses for not using a good dictionary, but nor should we give spelling the sort of status that we give things like the wearing of a tie - a very visible and over-emphasized representation of our arbitrary standards which doesn't necessarily reflect the assumptions we draw from it.
David, UK

Sloppiness in spelling at Oxford may seem like a minor thing but I feel it conceals a deeper symptom of our collective slide into anarchy. Think of the consequences of slopiness and glitches and errors in software used for aircraft landings. While the latter can perhaps be corrected, the consequences of `sloppy spellings' and errors made by Life's Master Molecules in copying and replication are often permanent and irreversible.
If standardised spellings seem to be too straight-jacketing for `creativity', think of what Orwell once said: ``First you learns the rules; then you breaks them''. So there cannot be any running away from learning the rules for a social and technologically-dependent species such as ours.
Vithal C. Nadkarni, India

Spelling does matter. Incorrect spelling often obscures the meaning of what is being said and even when the meaning is still clear, the impact is reduced because the person reading it is paying more attention to the physical construction of the phrase than the content.
Gordon Mullan, England

Meaning is important, not spelling. We make our spelling as arcane, difficult and irregular as possible and then complain when people get it wrong.
Michael Lay, UK

When people start reading books again spelling will improve.
Christine Dykes, Scotland

Spelling is a pre-occupation for those who can do it. I find it annoying when I am told I have spelt a word incorrectly but the meaning of the text has still been conveyed. Grammer is much more important than spelling. With correct grammer (and the person reading it knowing the correct grammer) spelling is trivial.
Derrick Gray, UK

While I believe that correct spelling is important, I feel that this particular story has received overdue emphasis.
The mistakes made were not written in the course of writing an essay or a report, but in the middle of an exam. I don't know how Oxford structure their exams, but at my University we had a series of three hour exams in which a number of questions had to be answered - and to answer the questions fully required a furious writing speed. Under these circumstances I would imagine that a number of writing mistakes (orthos?) might creep in.
Of course, this could be exacerbated by a pre-existing weakness in spelling, but I doubt that the graduates concerned are as weak as the 'results' of this might indicate.
Iain Rowan, UK

If it can be understood that is the important point, I am dylexis (I can never remember how to spell it) it's a struggle. We have a lot to offer, but unfortunatley people think if you can't spell well, you must be thick.
Metzger, UK

As a foreigner, I'm much more delighted with pure and wonderful classic English. Keep it clean, before its polluted by American movies.
Dennis, Russia

People get far too worried about the odd letter in the wrong place. What really matters is the content of the sentence. If you over-criticise a pupil on the grounds of spelling, then that pupil won't develop far more important creative skills.
Bob Dwyer, English teacher, London

As an English teacher, Bob Dwyer should be sacked for a comment like that. It's like a mathematics teacher saying, "It doesn't matter if the numbers are wrong as long as it's nearly right."
Kourous Rashanzanir, England

It would be a big help if Microsoft got the spelling of "Favourites" right in the UK version of Internet Explorer.
Malory Davies, England

Spelling DOES matter. Spelling mistakes give the impression that the writer is uneducated. This is especially important when applying for a job. Mistakes in a resume put off potential employers. In this day and age, when a computer spell-check program can be used, spelling mistakes are unforgivable, and can only be put down to a lack of basic knowledge (of spelling) or carelessness.
It is interesting to note that the person who doesn't think that spelling is important is an English teacher. I think we have found the root of the problem - this person should not hold such an important position.
Mal Lansell, USA (but I am British!)

As an English man in America, my sound education allows me to keep some of my identity from the onslaught of American culture... spelling plays a big part of that!
Malcolm Ferguson, USA

For students of any language correct spelling is important. However since English is now an international language we should have a standardised spelling worldwide, with an accepted body to control it.
Grenville Pidd, UK

corse it dus wont us all ta gro up daft ore summat
Richard Walker UK

I memorize English words by both spelling and pronunciation. If I find a word mispelled, I may think the word is a different word. I believe many English learners have the same way to remember English words as I do.
Iwan Effendi, Indonesia

For languages other than English this would not even be considered an issue. The idea of the French, Germans or Italians condoning laziness in their language education, at any level, is farcical. Of course spelling matters, particularly in a language as complex as English, which has roots in most of the great languages of Europe.
I find it sad that so many Americans are leaping to the defence of our common language [regardless of whether it is US or UK English] whilst the UK appears to be silent. Are we British really that uninterested?
Hannah Reynolds, UK

Which English language are you referring to, anyway? You Brits are always misspelling some words, such as "colour" and "defence". And you make plural some words such as ".. the government WERE ..." (etc.) which we in the US quite rightly refer to in the singular case! One would expect that the people who invented this language would try harder to get it right!!!
Mark Lind, USA

We can all appreciate that the way in which the Americans spell words like 'Theater' and 'Color' does seem to make more sense but this shouldn't be confused with basic spelling skills. Surely, if you want to communicate through the written word, you need to obey some rudimentary rules?
Graham Carrick, Cymru (Wales)

Heritage would be a good start. I think that those who respect the english language (namely the entire world) would be expected tofollow ritual. The evident American/British difference is also an unnecessary pact, it shines not just disrespect, but a blatent disregard to ritual. Would anyone change a language created by those who were responsible for current civilization?
Paul Edwards, Guernsey, UK

I think Americans should learn how to spell correctly. If they have to use someone else's language, why can't they use it properly?
George, UK

Certainly, proper spelling matters. Our impressions of others are formed largely by the way they communicate. Those who misspell or make serious errors in grammar are judged, usually with some accuracy, to have similarly sloppy habits of thought. We ought to encourage consistency in the use of English, especially in university students.
As for the "US vs. UK" spelling debate, it seems rather petty to me. We ought not equate Americanization with vulgarization, nor Britishisms with snobbery. Slang and poor usage exist on both sides of the Atlantic; sincere differences in "proper" use are natural linguistic evolutions - like Castilian and Latin American Spanish. Cautious users of English - UK or US - will understand each other no matter which form they prefer.
David Towne, USA

We all make spelling mistakes from time to time and the spellings of certain words will change over time. But this is no excuse for not being able to spell words in the agreed fashion at a given point in time. I believe that schools could do a great deal more to raise levels of spelling and grammar. By the time a student reaches university level he or she should be committed to the pursuit of academic excellence. Poor spelling and grammar will detract from the most brilliantly crafted paper, because they imply that there are certain fundamentals that the writer has failed to master.
Leigh Thorsen, USA

In my job a lot of my correspondence comes via e-mail and the spelling here tends to be of a low standard which you wouldn't expect in a written letter. It almost seems like good manners to spell correctly lest you change the meaning of a sentence and, possibly, the reader's understanding of that sentence.
After all, its not the most arduous task in the world to proof read something you intend and want somone else to understand. The care which I imagine most contributors to this 'thread' have taken with their submission could easily be applied across the board.
Paul Kersy, UK

Poor spelling creates the impression of a sloppy imprecise attitude, which will undermine confidence in the meaning of the text. It gives the impression of hurried, poorly thought-through work; of an indisciplined, sloppy mind; and of a lazy and uncaring attitude. It is not unreasonable for the reader to conclude this, because poor spelling is often to be found in poor work.
If an individual never learns to spell precisely, then they will always be handicapped in any occupation that requires them to produce formal reports and other serious documents. Although there are jobs that do not require this, no young person should restrict their options so severely. Those in a position to influence the attitude of children could be doing them grave harm if they tell them that spelling does not matter.
George Kendall, UK

It is ridiculous to dismiss spelling as unimportant. Spelling is, like grammar, a ligament in the body of language; it keeps the language together and keeps it working properly. Without spelling, people would not be able to fully and easily understand each other.
Chiraag Bains, USA

English is a beautifull language and it would not be befiting to spel words wronglly. A person may be inteligent and an excelent comunnicator as far as substanse is conserned, but I would rather not read his writings if he or she is a poor speler. I can forsee the chaos and disintagration of the language if everyone had the license to spel their own way. If you feel the same, don't read this mesage agane!
Padmanabhan Arvind, Singapore

English is NOT my first language, but I believe correct spelling should be the aim and a MUST in all languages. Especially in English because it is such a illogical ( = non phonetic ) language.
G. Hartig, Germany (presently U.S.)

As long as you aren't a journalist, where spelling and grammar are part of your job, spelling and grammar aren't THAT important, as long as you get your point across. Over here they call it the Labor party. When Labour won, newpaper headlines said "Labor wins big in Britain!"
We may say Aluminum, Color, Mold and Encyclopedia, but I feel the name of the party is Labour, WITH the "extra" U. But then again, I did get the point and DIDN'T make a big deal about it, calling all of the newspapers and telling them they spelled Labour wrong.
Bob Ambrose, USA

Of course it matters! If we wrote without paying attention to spelling, I think we would soon find most letters, notices, correspondence increasingly difficult to comprehend.
As far as the English language is concerned, I think we are very lucky to have language so rich in expressions and idioms. To back this up with poor spelling would be doing our heritage and culture absolutely no good whatsoever.
Sabrina Subramanyam, London

Spelling should always count. Only morons don't spell correctly. I agree with Sabrina Subramanyam. We should be proud of our language and its correct spelling and usage.
Ryan Rooney, USA

I have 2 physics degrees, and am studying for a PhD in Applied Radiation Physics. My spelling is absolutely rubbish and were I to check every word I was unsure of I would not finish my present study for years. I as the qualifications suggest am not a moron.
As new technology takes over the world the question when does correct become antiquated ye olde language must develop with society.
Del Gray, UK

Understanding spelling reflects intellectual ability to some degree. It demonstrates that the brain can decipher and comprehend rules and patterns. To my knowledge there is no research relating spelling ability to IQ, or to reflective vs active mental styles, which might be interesting - I suspect that passive reflectors may have better spelling than active do-ers, though this may not reflect understanding. A PhD research topic for someone perhaps...!!
D. Lewis, UK

I think spelling really does matter. A word that is not spelled the right way stands out from a sentence like a yellow sunflower in a field of red roses. In this "global village" (sorry for the cliche) of ours, the issue that comes up next is whether we should use American spelling or British spelling for certain words. Is it BBC centre or BBC center?
Naidu Buyyala, USA

It most certainly does matter! Nothing puts me off more than incorrect spelling. I'm British born, my family moved to the US when I was a teenager. I didn't like the US and thought that Americans were ill-educated, and I didn't enjoy finishing out my schooling there - I would have much rather finished my education in England.
When I was 34, I went back to England. I worked in a pharmaceutical company as a secretary, where a large proportion of staff were university graduates. I was absolutely appalled by the number of mis-spellings, poor grammar, and lack of knowledge covering punctuation.
Several staff members actually capitalized every word and left all punctuation out - hoping that I would be able to correct it. I'm in the States again, and have come to the conclusion that writing skills should be considered a skill and rewarded as such. Apparently it's beyond most people.
Susan Clarke, USA

I studied English at universities in both the UK and the USA. American students have much better spelling and grammar skills on the whole as they are basic college requirements. On an MA course in the UK, many of my colleagues could not spell nor use correct grammar rules.
Katherine Edwards, UK

I think that it depends on to what extent misspelling is. Each language has various dialects. So how can you distinguish right dialect from the others? There must be variations of right spelling.
Alexei Fomitchev, Russia

English has always evolved, but this evolution makes old literature more and more inaccessible to modern readers. Every year it gets harder to read Chaucer and Shakespeare. That is a good reason to preserve standard spelling, to preserve our heritage.
Arthur Edelstein, USA

One must learn English language (or any language) correctly from its grammer point of view, spelling and usage in every day life. We all (loyalist of language/s) must encourage its rightful usage in writting, speaking & reading keeping in mind the spelling and grammer rules. No one must be allowed to alter spelling of word/s at his/her wish or whims.
Mr Dipak K. Vyas, Kuwait

Schools should make a serious attempt to teach people to spell correctly - taking particular care to watch out for dyslexia and other problems. But I don't think the UK would benefit from trying to set the spelling and usage of its language in stone.
Firstly, it will fail because too many other countries and institutions have a stake in the language. Secondly, the flexibility and ability of English to adopt new words and adapt over time is one of its many strengths.
Does spelling matter? It's a question of context. It's not a good idea to make any spelling mistakes when applying for a job. It's less of a problem when writing a letter to a friend. It matters most when trying to make a first impression. Some spelling mistakes slow communication and cause unnecessary confusion, particularly in a business environment, and particularly when working with people for whom English is a foreign or second language.
Martin Tod, Czech Republic

I think that the English language must be respected and the whole spelling matter upheld, strictly. The beauty of the language must not be compromised because of the ignorance and unseriousness of students and non-students as well. I am not an English student, but I make sure that I do not have an ignorant attitude towards the language.
Aniekan Uwan, USA

The important thing is clear communication; where poor spelling interferes with this steps should certainly be taken to improve it.. At the same time it must be remembered that Jane Austen (and the Duke of Wellington) spelt 'choose' as 'chuse'; and Sam Pepys and many of his contemporaries spelt 'Gracechurch Street' as 'Gracious Street'. A certain amount of individuality in spelling does not detract from our culture, bu rather adds to it. It was the 19th Century lexicographers who tried to impose uniformity - quite successfully - and so had a stultifying effect. formerly senior lecturer in English, Hong Kong University
Duncan Macintosh, Thailand

I find it appalling that in a country such as Britain, the once proud centre of the English speaking world, that teachers there seem to be insouciant about the declining spelling skills of their students. If this trend continues, Britain's proud universities - Oxford & Cambridge - shall be nothing more than a meeting of the mindless and the mediocre. The best students in the world will go to other countries' universities in order to obtain a world class education.
Bob, Canada

The sounds of a language are like the notes in a musical score. Change the notes and you lose the beauty of the original composition.
Marcial Losada, USA

English orthography is now so remote from phonology that many people find it easier to "sound out" a word and spell it that way - perhaps we need a new form of writing to cope with this drift?
Paul Watters, Australia

Misspelling casts doubt in the reader's mind on the value of the message. The reader equates good English with clear thinking.
Asad Abidi, USA

Maybe it shouldn't matter, but it does. A badly-spelt document looks unprofessional, whether the writer didn't know or just didn't care about the spelling. I know that there's no correlation between good spelling and intelligence but my impression is always better when I see correct spelling than incorrect. (And we won't even touch the question of "correct" American vs. UK spelling!)
Nancy Miller, USA

Yes, spelling certainly DOES matter. Accurate spelling obviates misunderstandings, and can often reveal the roots and origins of words, and the connections between related words.
We're all guilty of misspelling from time to time, and word processor spell- checkers seem to have made things worse rather than better, especially with regard to Americanisms. However, gradual evolutionary change is one thing; English teachers reduced to justifying ignorance in the very subject where they, of all people, should be setting the highest standards is quite another.
This country should be the sanctuary of the English language, not its graveyard.
John Luby, Scotland

Language exists as a means of transferring information, whether it is tax data or a sonnet. It cannot do this job if the communicating parties cannot agree on grammar, syntax or spelling.
Louis Finegan, Ireland

Spelling matters to many people. Because of the 'establishment's' view of spelling, many people with literacy problems face a barrier of fear in even filling in an application form, this bars them from education, promotion and they often feel their lives are one of hiding behind looking normal. There are about 2 million people with this difference in Britan and to them spelling matters a great deal. If the education system can adapt to realise that there are many people who cannot spell but who are intelligent, creative human beings with a contribution to make, then England will be a better place.
Elaine Kruse, Switzerland

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