Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Editing Spelling: American Standard English

Spelling

[The general content (below) was created in Canada; therefore, I have adjusted the specifics to adhere to American Standard English spelling. The general issue of consistent spelling is necessary for review to accomplish proper editing in all English-speaking areas: basically, make sure that you are spelling properly AND even if the term is spelled correctly, use the correct grammatical term within your sentence.]

Spell checkers catch some errors, but not all. They tend to miss homonyms—words that are pronounced the same way but spelled differently such as site/sight, there/their/they’re and its/it’s.

For example, most spell checkers would report no error in the following sentence despite the fact that it has three serious spelling mistakes:

Their looking for a new sight where the gopher can build it’s home.

[Grammar programs would catch the issues above, but not every system has access to grammar and spelling checkers.]

The joint influence of British and Canadian spelling on American usage has resulted in an additional challenge: You may find some article writings that follow standard British spelling for certain words (e.g. axe, cheque), American spelling for others (e.g. connection, tire), and Canadian spelling for yet others (e.g. programme/program, neighbour/neighbor). The important thing to remember is to be consistent with the English spelling standards in American and follow a regular pattern when you spell. Choose the American pattern of spelling and follow it closely. The best way to avoid problems with mixed British and Canadian spelling is to keep a dictionary handy that shows American usage. An actual dictionary in your hand will assure proper spelling and usage that spelling and grammatical programs cannot.

Spelling correctly is largely a matter of practice and the common-sense use of reference materials and standard spelling rules. Although each rule has exceptions, if you study them carefully you will be able to avoid many common errors, even without a spell checker.