The Importance of Spelling

In this dizzying age of the Internet, the most neglected aspect of the English language is spelling. This author cannot begin to count the number of times people have written to him to set him straight on one point or another, only to expose their own inability to fashion words together correctly.

While this may be fine in conversations between friends, in a public forum, it invites snickering and condescension. Poor spelling reflects badly upon the writer and publisher alike.

To understand the importance of spelling correctly, consider the case of Dan Quayle:

As successful Senator and controversial Vice President of the United States for four years, Dan Quayle should have a very good shot at the Oval Office in 2000. He is, at best, a long shot.

The Murphy Brown Speech is not the cause of his woe. Indeed, he has accused Bill Clinton of plagiarism for promoting family values using very similar rhetoric. There is no doubt he would win the debates against Al Gore. Their last encounter proved that succinctly. The reason J. Danforth Quayle is not taken seriously is that, in a spelling bee, he corrected a student for spelling "potato" correctly.

“You left out the ‘E’,” said he, thus ending a promising political career.

Spelling correctly makes it much less likely that you will end up like Dan Quayle. The next few sections contain practical advice for how to avoid this untimely fate.

Previous | Next