Math Is Fun Forum

Jemfinch

Member

Registered: 2008-06-03

Posts: 1

Spelling concern

Is there a way to correct the spelling on this site for English speakers? it is very confusing for children, who are just learning to spell, to encounter incorrect spellings on a regular basis. COLOUR, FAVOURITE etc

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Spelling concern

This would be a great idea. I heartily support this request.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Spelling concern

Good idea.

If there was a fast way to find a user's "native" spelling I could probably do it. At the moment I go with the dominant spelling, as a quick research of Google returns:

Colour: 236,000,000
Color: 1,190,000,000

This also shows that the average web-surfing child will see "color" far more often, so even if I solve it here, they will still need to be taught about the different spellings.

However, it is interesting to note that most peoples eyes "scan over" the (for them) misspellings, and they don't even notice them.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Spelling concern

I’m not really against the differences between BE and AE spellings. I use the spelling COLOUR but I have no objection to other people using the spelling COLOR (being the open-minded person that I am ).

I am less tolerant of lazy idiots who type “u” for “you”.

Not to mention the annoying but now unfortunately all too widespread dropping of apostrophes (e.g. DONT instead of DON’T, etc).

Last edited by JaneFairfax (2008-06-03 10:21:06)

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: Spelling concern

No Jane, you got it all wrong.  It's far more annoying when people use superfluous apostrophes when pluralizing word's.

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"In the real world, this would be a problem.  But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist.  So we'll go ahead and do that now..."

Devantè

Real Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 6,400

Re: Spelling concern

I’m not really against the differences between BE and AE spellings. I use the spelling COLOUR but I have no objection to other people using the spelling COLOR (being the open-minded person that I am ).

I am less tolerant of lazy idiots who type “u” for “you”.

Not to mention the annoying but now unfortunately all too widespread dropping of apostrophes (e.g. DONT instead of DON’T, etc).

ur right u no