Language is a beautiful, organic, changing thing. Creative spelling is one tool in our communicator's toolbox - or, toy in our toybox? I can see the point behind thru, u, r, and some of the other modern variations (though I don't necessarily like them or use them myself). Some things actually do have right and wrong spellings that make a difference. I suggest:
yeah (short vowel sound)
yay (long vowel sound)
whoa (long vowel sound)
Some things we say one way and write another (ESL students, trying to pick up idiomatic American English, will write things like 'I dunno' and 'are you gonna come?' It's fine to talk that way, but on paper, use 'don't know' and 'going to.')
Are there other words like that which you cringe to see misspelled?
Filed under "Writing."
5 comments:
I cringe when I see common phrases that are misspelled so that it is obvious that the writer doesn't understand the phrase he is using. For example, today I read that someone might "kill over" from old age.
There is a different language used in blogging, and it's more casual than in print. I'm OK with that; I think it's a move for the better.
This discussion is an age-cultural-specific thing; younger people are more open to things like no caps than I am.
I'm fine with casual grammar in such contexts. Like Paula, though, I don't like seeing people use the wrong word or not know how to spell it.
The one word that is hard for me to interpret when written as slang is: ah.
ah = ah ha (as in light bulb moment)
ah = aaww (as in so cute)
ah = uh oh
ah = AAAHHHH!!!
ah = ew (as in gross)
ah = ha ha
ah = uummm (as in stalling)
Ya' jest never can tell. Ya'know? :-)
"ah" is difficult. Even my dictionary says, "much depends on intonation"!
When I lived in Central Asia the all-purpose word in the language I learned was "wey." I never saw it written. But even after I came back I found myself wanting to use it when listening to people talk: "Wey.... wey? weh! weeeeeh....."
Hmm, is there anything like that in Spanish? Most of my Spanish has been in classroom settings, so I don't know to talk like an ordinary person!
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