GrammarPhile Blog

5 Tips to Become a Better Speller

Posted by Sara Richmond   Dec 9, 2021 10:30:00 AM

1. If you’re over 10 years old, give up.
2. If you’re under 10 years old, cry.
3. Regardless of your age, write “Aym sadd,” then cry because you don’t know how to spell “I’m” or “sad” correctly.
4. Realize there are only four tips instead of five and cry some more.

Dry your tears, dear reader.

If you are a self-proclaimed “terrible speller,” here are some easy tips to reduce the cringe. We triple counted them, so we know there are definitely five.

But first, let’s attack the myth that English is a horrible hodgepodge of spelling and pronunciation inconsistencies. If you believe this, it is almost certain that you were taught English spelling and pronunciation in a hodgepodge manner. That means there’s a lot of hope for you.

These tips will not only help you spell better, but they’ll also provide more sense and logic to the phonetic dependability of the English language.*

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Topics: misspellings, typos, typographic errors

We’re Grateful for Grammar Mistakes…As Long as They’re Not Ours

Posted by Sara Richmond   Nov 18, 2021 10:35:00 AM

 

Grammar mistakes are evidence we’re human. And so is the rising fury or amusement when we observe them. For example, I love a good malapropism1 any day of the week. On the other hand, misspellings, unless they’re of the elementary-age variety,2 make me groan, especially in customer-facing text (like web copy, advertisements, and mass emails).

In the spirit of the season, we’re laying aside our outrage and celebrating mistakes. Enjoy the following list of grammar faux pas we love to hate, as reported by our fabulous team of proofreaders, a few relatives, and a random man I struck up a conversation with in a frustratingly long queue.

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Topics: typos, typographic errors, grammar mistakes

Can You Ace This Basic Proofreading Quiz?

Posted by Phil Jamieson   Mar 22, 2018 7:30:00 AM

Do you typically pride yourself on being able to catch even the smallest of errors in any piece of writing, whether they’re in an online advertisement or a novel? Do misspelled words and typos in a printed document drive you crazy? If so, here’s a fun proofreading quiz for you to take.

Take our quiz to test your basic proofreading knowledge and see if you can catch every single typo. See if you can get every question right and ace the entire quiz. And don’t look for any of the answers online, so you can really step up to the challenge!

Let us know how you did in the comments below. Good luck!

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Topics: proofreading quiz, typos, typographic errors

Embarrassing Grammar Errors in 2016

Posted by Conni Eversull   Dec 28, 2016 7:30:00 AM

All of us made grammar mistakes in 2016, whether we realized and corrected them immediately or still have no idea about them. But for those writers that publish their work in a public forum or those unfortunate souls whose mistakes get passed around on the internet until thousands of people are laughing, these mistakes made for some of the best grammar gaffes this year.

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Topics: commas, typos, typographic errors, grammar errors, Oxford comma, headline errors

Secrets to Writing Effective Press Releases

Posted by Phil Jamieson   Oct 27, 2016 7:30:00 AM

Journalists and bloggers are flooded with press releases. It’s not uncommon for some to receive dozens in a single day. Only a few press releases stand out from the swarm, and not all of those are eye-catching in a good way. How can you ensure that yours makes the right impact and helps you get the coverage you need?

We asked writers and editors who cover many different industries to tell us how a press release can pique their interest – and what makes them dive for the “delete” key.

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Topics: typos, typographic errors, press releases, writing press releases, press release length

What Do Typos Say About You?

Posted by Conni Eversull   Sep 21, 2016 7:30:00 AM


Professional proofreaders tend to focus on formal documents: books, news and feature articles, marketing copy, legal contracts, et cetera. But (as far as we know) nobody pays a proofreader to check their personal or work emails. They’re usually composed on the fly and sent without so much as a once-over. Because the brain tends to focus on concepts rather than details when you’re writing, even the most conscientious communicator can fall victim to typos.

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Topics: typos, typographic errors

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