Spelling mistakes can be a real obstacle in studies or in the professional world. Whether it’s sending an important email, writing a file or simply posting a text on social networks, we are regularly faced with difficulties that make us hesitate.

This hesitation is even more worrying as these mistakes undermine our credibility and can even prove to be disqualifying on a CV or a cover letter. However, how to write a text without going against the many subtleties of English grammar? Discover this by tense detector. Apart from spell checkers, specialists in “speaking well” or rather “writing well” offer tips for reading effectively. For example, in an article published in the Neon magazine in April 2015, the spelling expert advises to reread his texts and emails at the end. It is a very effective way to resume your text, without falling into the traps of the mind.

Spelling Mistakes

First, some clarifications on the word “spelling” are in order.

Etymologically, spelling comes from the Greek word orthography, made up of the term orthoses, which means “right, correct” and graphene, which means, “to write”. Thus, spelling refers to the correct way to write words in a language. To better target and understand the mistakes you make, it is important to distinguish between lexical spelling and grammatical spelling. Lexical spelling concerns the writing of the word itself, as it appears in the dictionary and without taking into account the context of the sentence.

Mastering lexical spelling makes it possible to answer questions such as:

“How do you write connection? Language or language? “Or platform or platform?. Grammatical spelling corresponds to the way in which a word is written depending on the context, the meaning of the sentence and / or its use, number and genre.

Mastering grammatical spelling allows you to answer questions:

To avoid mistakes, why not use spell checkers online or included in word processing software? These robots make it possible to identify typing errors more quickly. On the other hand, we should not rely 100% on these correctors! Why? Because with the different turns of phrase and grammar rules, it often happens that, the proofreaders push you to the wrong agreement. Another reason why you should not give in to ease by using correctors? Because their systematic use leads to a kind of spelling laziness.

The spelling error therefore corresponds to an error relating to the standard form of a word (we then speak of a lexical error) or to an inaccuracy with regard to the writing of the word in its use (we speak of a mistake) grammar.

To better focus on its shortcomings, we will distinguish lexical spelling errors from errors in grammar, conjugation, syntax or semantics, to which we will come back later in this dossier.

Using the dictionary

If in doubt about the spelling of a word, use the “dictionary” reflex! Take the time to analyze each letter that composes it by focusing on the part that makes you doubt in order to assimilate the precise spelling. Keep one handy (or on your keyboard) so that you can double-check the correct writing of the word at any time. It is well known that repetition is a key factor in long-term memorization.

Between social networks that limit us in the number of characters and the democratization of the SMS language, the average level of spelling has relatively poorer. Except that in the professional field (or studies), a good level of spelling remains very important. To avoid making mistakes, we have selected the best apps and pro tips. Follow the leader!