Nightmare that is English Spellings!
There is so much to learn with IM, I just start to feel that I'm getting somewhere and then I come across something else that I need to overcome before I can progress. I'm not saying that's a bad thing because I enjoy learning but I would like to feel that my foundations were a little less shaky than they appear to be at the moment.
When I think of all I still have to learn I am eternally grateful for one thing and that is that I was born in an English speaking country because in truth English is the language of the internet, well when I say English of course I actually mean American English where the word colour is written as color and grey is gray but hey that's not much to overcome!
Since joining WA I have been surprised by how many people are here learning this stuff when English isn't their first language and I really have to take my hat off to you all because I can't imagine how difficult it is for people who are trying to learn all this information and build a business in a foreign language.
My son has dyslexia and while trying to help him with his spelling I have realised just how many homophones there are in the English language, that is words that sound the same but are spelt differently - they are completely different words they just happen to be pronounced the same.
The most common mistake people seem to make is between they're, their and there and two, to and too. I just wanted to try and clarify the difference between them as it can be quite off putting when read by an English speaking person (unless they happen to be dyslexic!) and could make the difference between them staying on your site and moving on!
They're is quite easy it's an abbreviation for "they are" - they're all going to the park
Their is when something belongs to a person - sitting on their chair, can you give me their number.
There is a bit more complicated - it is usually used as a place - look over there, stand there please, but it can also be used to introduce a subject - there is a cat on the roof, there used to be a tree here...
If you understand the rules for they're and their then it will be much easier to get there right too!
Two is the number 2, not too many people get this wrong because it is learnt with the other numbers and the figure 2 is often used in it's place.
To is used a lot in English and is the weaker "tu" - going to the market, decided to retire, give that to me...
Too is usually when something is excessive, or when a person wants to be included (could be replaced by also/as well) - you are driving too fast, there is too much sugar in my coffee, can I come too?, we too have problems, I thought that too!
Phew!! Do you know what - defining this was harder than I thought it would be and I know this stuff! It makes me even more in awe of all you non English speaking Internet Marketers!
Recent Comments
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Where Were We're & There They're Their
I often end up on Google looking for phrase examples as it's something that hasn't sunk in for me, so thanks for posting this.
I'm also so great full for spell check features or I'd be in a much bigger mess, another site that I often visit is: http://www.howjsay.com because sometimes I'm not sure if my spell check selection is correct as I'm not sure how to pronounce the word.
I'm also British, while growing up English was spoken at home, but at school everything was done in Welsh apart from our English lessons. I had a hard time learning English and Welsh, the Welsh language doesn't have silent letters etc so everything is spelled the way it sounds.
So when it came to English I was messed up, well I'm sure if I'd tried harder in school my spelling and grammar would be much better.
center -centre
check - cheque
neighbour - neighbor ..
there's a long list.... did I use the correct there? =)
i get the center centre missed up a lot, plus sometimes I through in a french spelling of a word if it is close:)
I have become accustomed to spelling in US English (though I am Canadian) because the audience is larger. UK english is pretty much the same as Canadian English.
the word that really throws me for a loop is equipment...I first use equipement and then the spell checker freaks out:)
yes, my husband is Canadian and I lived there for a while. I remember playing scrabble with some neighbours (or neighbors!)
I'm a Brit and because most of my readers/customers are from the US I have to write with american spellings. The trouble is now I do it automatically.
Haha...I just posted that I did this as well. I don't have too much trouble flipping to switch back and forth still.
When I came home from Europe, I adopted the German symbol for 7. We don't use the line across the 7 here in the states. Sometimes I think it's fine to mix it up. I often use the British spelling for words. It
must be channeled because I do it without thinking.
I'm also in awe of people who are doing this with English as a second language. It's alot to keep things moving along even when English is your native language. Good news is they're doing it. I think one will never get old if working online. There's no time to be complacent because things are always changing. So, you can't get in a boring old rut. More good news for us marketers.
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No one mentioned - so I'd like to add the following to your list:
The difference between IT'S and ITS :
IT'S with apostrophe is a contraction of IT IS - e.g., it is a fine day! = IT'S a fine day.
ITS without apostrophe is a possessive pronoun - e.g., the animal shed ITS fur (possessive case 3rd person like yours, hers and theirs).
The difference between THEN and THAN:
THEN is an adverb indicating a time or when - e.g., we shall see you THEN (when).
THAN is a conjunction - e.g., the shopping took longer THAN we had anticipated it would.