I consider spelling very important for clarity of communication. In addition,
if in a professional context I receive misspelled messages, it makes me
question the sender's attention to detail
and concern for completing a task correctly.
On the other side of the argument, I once had a conversation with a distinguished
author and educator who contended that the ability to spell correctly
was as innate as an ear for music and that those without it should not
be penalized if they could get their meaning across.
Jane,
63
West Linn, OR USA
Yes, but it's hard to do.
Keri-Jade,
23
Brampton, Ontario CANADA
Most definitely,
espeically in professional documents and formal settings. Email is one
of those places that seems more conversational and I'm inclinded to be
pretty lax about spelling. In
general I'm a lazy speller. A fault I readily admit to.
Felicia,
37
Lowell, MA USA
I'm not a good speller myself--a touch of dyslexia--but poor spelling distracts me from the content of the message.
Jill,
61
Saylorsburg, PA USA
Absolutely. Incorrect spellings reflect a sloppy attitude, lack of attention to detail and carelessness. There is no reason in this day of spell-checkers to misspell anything.
Laura,
38
Lowell, MA USA
not vital.
But if it is so bad that it's not understood by your reader then obviously
it's a
problem. What really annoys me isn't bad spelling, but people who write
in text speak in e-mails or on message boards. That's just lazy!
Alice
Winchester UK
Yes. I like to see words spelled correctly. I am not a fan of the computer abbreviations and acronyms.
Janet,
46
E. Brunswick, NJ USA
Yes.
Fisch,
47
Preston, CT USA
Yes, it's the first thing an employer looks for in a cover letter or resumé.
Melodi,
19
Gahanna, OH USA
Yes on a resume, no on a message board.
Alias Irrelevante
It's probably less important than in the past considering how much work is done on word processors. It does irritate me when I notice spelling mistakes in handwritten documents, though.
Aly,
17
Cardiff UK
Yes
Ryan,
29
Riedlingen GERMANY
I have a degree
in English and work as a freelance proofreader. What do you think?
But then, I do have the perspective to know that spelling isn't life.
Karen,
24
Ames, IA USA
I'm a writer.
Cindy,
41
VA USA
of
course spelling is important. it just shows discipline in writing. it
also shows that a person knows how to read as well as they should.
when you read your vocabulary and spelling levels increase. there is an
understanding that comes with spelling. its an understanding of word formation
and definition.
if you can define a word and you know how words are formed then when you
hear a word most of the time you can spell it.
i dont believe in leeway for anything educational. there are basic things
that every person should know how to do efficiently and spelling is one
of them.
it looks very bad to have misspelled words in anything. it really is embarassing
because a lot of people take it as a sign of not being educated.
especially nowadays spelling mistakes are ridiculous because of spellchecks.
there is also easy access to dictionaries.
if you are a horrible speller then you should definitely try to change
that and also make sure you use a spell check. i am the most embarassed
person when it comes to mistakes in my work.
ingrid,
22
Stockton, CA USA