Date:  Fri, 12 Jan 1996 11:42:23 EST

From:  Larry Horn <LHORN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU>

Subject: <No subject given>



C. M. Thomas writes,



----------------------------Original message----------------------------

> As we have WOTYs, perhaps we should also have Commonly Misspelled Words

(Comiswords?)

> I have just been asked to supply to someone on campus a list of commonly

> misspelled words> I have provided it's for its, their for there and there for

> their. Can you assist?

>

> (I have not taught English 101 recently.)

>

> This is needed within 2 hours.

>

> Thanks,

> Bethany





There are numerous words which I frequently find to be misspelled. I

have noticed this in official publications as well as more casual

writings too, which is surprising. Among these are:

colour

centre

organize

rumour

armour

realize



There seems to be an interesting tendency for Americans to make these

misspellings. Maybe Americans are just generally bad spellers. It may

be genetic. Had anybody got any other possible suggestions for why

this might be?



-------------------------------------------------------



No, C.M. But have you noticed that everyone in Britain drives on the wrong

side of the road? And forgets to pronounce their final and post-consonantal

[r]'s? More work for those genome mappers.



--Larry