# Identifying spelling mistakes.



## .   1

G'day Cultur@s
This may be a cultural thing so I will check.
Is it considered good manners in this forum for spelling errors by natives to be identified on the boards before sending a PM to the perpetrator of the error to edit the mistake?

.,,


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## Dawei

Personally I´d rather be told via PM and given the chance to correct it myself before it gets pointed out to everyone in another post, but maybe I´m just insecure. 

On the other hand, non-natives might see a native make a common mistake and feel a little less dumb for having made the same mistake at one time in the past. I´d imagine there is also a sense of pride for some learners who have mastered the difference between its and it´s and later see a native get flagged for having mixed the two.


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## .   1

Yeah.  It's the whole pride thing that has got up my nose.

.,,


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## Dawei

Well, pride encourages. If someone feels superior to a certain native in a certain aspect it could boost their motivation to improve in other ways.


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## maxiogee

I have encountered trouble with the 'native of' field here. 
Some people have it as their place of birth and not the language they speak.
Some other people have X as their native language but seem to make rudimentary errors in it, while others who don't have X as their native language seem to understand very fine nuances of meaning which escape natives.

None of the above should be taken as my twisted attempt to rationalise why I sometimes don't even look at that entry.

I _generally _send a PM to a native or a fluent writer, but I have been known to jump in with both feet as soon as I open my mouth! (Tricky manoeuvre, that one!)


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## jonquiliser

Maybe it all shouldn't be so much about pride. Everyone commits mistakes, in any language, including one's own. Unless it's done to mock or humiliate someone, why would it be bad to nicely comment on some misspelling or grammar errors? One thing is of course language policing, when someone takes upon themselves to enforce a certain perspective of what constitutes "correct language" on others, and that is gruesomely horrible. But as everyone is here to learn, we can all learn from each other. Sometimes a foreign speaker of a language might even know more than natives about grammar, as they might be learning the language precisely through grammar and such. Which natives don't. But I agree it is a little sensitive, this issue.


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## Alxmrphi

I see no problem with correcting spelling mistakes on the boards, only recently, might even, yeah yesterday I saw a poster correct someone elses spelling mistake in another language and that's when I realised I have been spelling that word wrong, for 8 months I spelt it that way and only learnt of my error when someone else corrected a spelling mistake on the boards.

I think it's a bit of a waste of time to PM people for every spelling mistake.


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## Kajjo

I think it mostly depends on the situation or context. When discussing non-linguistic matters I prefer to receive PMs about language mistakes, because it focuses the thread and the content of contributions on the topic rather than on typos. I regard it as somewhat unfair to comment on language when in fact the language is only the tool, not the subject. 

In language forums I prefer that at least _regular members_ inform each other by PM about _typos_, again for the same reasons, i.e. avoid cluttering of threads with off-topic corrections. I really like reasonable and worthwhile threads to be on-topic and not about finding errors in someone else's contributions.

Kajjo


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## .   1

I absolutely agree. (with the deleted post of faranji)
Just about any non native speaker here would know more grammar rules than me and I am quite happy to have my word placement questioned.

I can not think of the actual examples but I have changed the way I compose certain phrases after some exchanges here. This is wonderful and creative and positive.
Spelling is an entirely different thing.
The type of response to which I refer is a post that contains nothing but;
BTW The spelling of the word is [boring]
(signed)
(I have nothing to add but my post count just went up one and I had a dig at a native in the process)


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## cuchuflete

My spelling leaves a lot to be desired.  I write quickly and post, then sometimes notice a mistake and edit to correct it.  One fine forero sometimes sends me PMs to point out my spelling errors in his/her language and in my own.  I reply with thanks by PM, and with thanks by user name again in the edit reason field.

Other people quote me and mark my miztakes or tell me that I've messed up yet again.

I am pleased to be corrected in public or in private, in my own language or in the others I attempt.

Help is help.  It's good for me.


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## panjabigator

Well, the site is called Wordreference, so why not identify errors on the board?  Swallow your pride and get over it...I'd rather learn the correct way than continue to make the mistake.

I wrote the word "hilo" (thread) as "hielo" (ice) for multiple threads until finally someone sent me a PM to explain my error.  Thank God someone told me so...


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## faranji

I prefer being corrected in public. As panjabigator says, this site is called Wordreference. 

Moreover, on-the-board corrections give the rest of the forumlings the chance to correct the correction. On a couple of occasions, I was given kind but wrong corrections via PM, and it took me a while to realize it.


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## Brioche

faranji said:


> I prefer being corrected in public. As panjabigator says, this site is called Wordreference.
> 
> Moreover, on-the-board corrections give the rest of the forumlings the chance to correct the correction. On a couple of occasions, I was given kind but wrong corrections via PM, and it took me a while to realize it.



I prefer to send [and receive] corrections via PM.
It doesn't clutter up the boards, and there's the possibility that I may have misunderstood - and the corrections to the corrections would clutter things up even more.


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## Bienvenidos

I feel that the kind foreros of WR are very respectful about this issue (spelling)  Mistakes are always pointed out on the board, but it can be embarrassing when someone points it out knowing that both you, the writer, and him or her, the corrector, knew that you, the writer, knew how to spell it.   I have been very lucky and have felt extremely respected when I've received PM's saying, "You're crazy. You meant to put an a instead of a d in the phrase "dpple" which is  supposed to be "apple."

I'm fine with corrections; the idea that people wouldn't correct my spelling scares me


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## Etcetera

I prefer to be told about any mistake I make in my posts by PM. 
I'm always grateful to anyone pointing me my mistakes and typos out, but posts which contain nothing more than a correction of a typo make the discussion a bit more difficult to follow.


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## .   1

I agree with Etcetera.
Especially if the 'correction' is wrong.
Not all native English speakers have the same talent level with the language and some of them are about 90% less smart than they think they are and this just fills threads with folderol.

.,,


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## winklepicker

Yes... but... If we leave spelling kistakes* up there uncorrected what does that do to non-native learners? Remember that these discussions get archived and are google-able (new word!): there's enough crap English on the net (and no doubt other tongues too) without us lot adding to it. It would be nice if there was one island of 'correctness' out there...

By the way, .,,, I very tactfully started a new thread asking if _euph*a*mism _was a new alternative spelling, but I think you may have missed it?!  

_* That was a genuine error - but such a good one, I couldn't bear to correct it!_


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## Etcetera

winklepicker said:


> Yes... but... If we leave spelling kistakes* up there uncorrected what does that do to non-native learners? Remember that these discussions get archived and are google-able (new word!): there's enough crap English on the net (and no doubt other tongues too) without us lot adding to it. It would be nice if there was one island of 'correctness' out there...


I think it would be a good idea to send PMs to the poster first, and only then, if he/she doesnt't respond, post your correction under their post. 
Ah, and here we go again: to the question of 24 hours time limit for making any corrections to our posts.


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## lsp

I correct spelling mistakes without making a big deal of it, sometimes it's obviously a typo and maybe I'll say so.. I PM rarely, and never thought that someone's pride could be attached to seeing their spelling corrected, or that someone might interpret that I'm trying to "stick it to a native." That saddens me, in fact. I'm here to learn and help others learn language (that's grammar and spelling). I want to be corrected, so I am only doing unto others as I would like others to do to me - to advance the goals that brought me here. That said, I spend 99% of my time in a bilingual forum, so language is the subject _and_ the tool, maybe it's different in cultural discussions, but as they are attached to WR, I still think many people who post there are interested in their language skills. So, dear readers, I think I will continue to do what I think is in the best interest of language learners, and hope my other contributions stand for me and that my motives will be understood and appreciated.


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## ElaineG

> That said, I spend 99% of my time in a bilingual forum, so language is the subject _and_ the tool,


 
Exactly.  I don't know if it's useful to lump CD in with the language forums.  In the language forums, at least the ones I moderate, spelling corrections are a learning tool for natives and non-natives alike.  We also have a lot of young people in our forums, and frankly, they are often learning English grammar and spelling right along with the foreign language they are learning.

Sometimes it's obvious to _me_ that someone made a typo, but why should it be obvious to a non-native speaker who studies these forums as a way to improve their English?  What if the person who made the mistake doesn't log back on to see the PM for days or weeks?

There is no shame in being corrected.  The purpose of this forum is to _improve our language skills_ and there is no one among us who cannot improve, even in their native language.

As I said, all this only goes for the language forums.  I have no opinion on what might be useful in CD, which is a horse of a different color.


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## heidita

WE Had a case the other day on the Spanish forum where a native Spanish person posted answers with such bad spelling mistakes that she was corrected several times and asked to please, be more careful.
She got very angry and pointed out to the forers correcting her that they should _leave her alone,_ she didn't appreciate corrections nor *WANT* to be corrected. 

In a case like this I think it is necessary to intervene, as other people might think this spelling is correct, coming from a native.

Personally I have often pointed out spelling mistakes to usual members by PM and I appreciate Pms in this direction.


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## maxiogee

heidita said:


> She got very angry and pointed out to the forers correcting her that they should _leave her alone,_ she didn't appreciate corrections nor *WANT* to be corrected.


 
Isn't it a normal thing in life to receive things we do not want? 

She may not have wanted the correction, but others - reading her words - might have needed them!


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## Sallyb36

I don't care HOW people correct me, I'm just happy when they do.  I want to write well in both English and Spanish, so am always grateful for corrections, be they public or private.


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## panjabigator

Sallyb36 said:


> I don't care HOW people correct me, I'm just happy when they do.  I want to write well in both English and Spanish, so am always grateful for corrections, be they public or private.



HERE HERE!  As long as fingers aren't pointed and you aren't laughing your head off at me in a written fashion, I'd prefer a public correction!


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## maxiogee

panjabigator said:


> HERE HERE! *Hear, hear! *As long as fingers aren't pointed and you aren't laughing your head off at me in a written fashion, I'd prefer a public correction!



Would we laugh at you, panja?


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## Etcetera

maxiogee said:


> Would we laugh at you, panja?


I bet you Panjabigator did it on purpose!


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## Whodunit

I agree with Kajjo that it depends on the situation. If a thread is completely cultural (like if we discuss the pronunciation of the pope or which words were used in the GDR that are now outdated), I'd like to be corrected via PM. This is just because it would clutter the thread tremendously, and these corrections may just go on forever, so that the actual content of the thread might get lost.

If a person asks for a translation from one language to the other, however, I beg to be corrected in public, because the person may already have written down my suggested translation and not regarded the thread anymore. But if someone else comments on my translation, the thread becomes "unread" again and the thread starter might come back to it and have a look at the new post, which explains to him that there was a typo in the translation I proposed. Supposing that another German native sent me a PM to point out that I made a spelling mistake, I would simply go back to my suggested translation in that thread and correct the typo. Would the thread starter really care about the small "EDIT: corrected typo," if he visited the forum again at all?


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## panjabigator

Etcetera said:


> I bet you Panjabigator did it on purpose!


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## KaRiNe_Fr

ElaineG said:


> [...] What if the person who made the mistake doesn't log back on to see the PM for days or weeks? [...]


Day*s*, week*s*?  But...


Etcetera said:


> [...] Ah, and here we go again: to the question of 24 hours time limit for making any corrections to our posts.



Etcetera, I couldn't agree more.  I still don't understand this limitation as a rule, based on only one forum (CD) while the purpose of the whole site is language...
(or maybe mods should have the same limit for their own posts? No, just kidding!  )

I personally don't care the way I'm corrected for the languages I learn (thanks .,, I can eventually say it somewhere without being off-topic and without sending tons of PM! ) , as precisely I'm here to learn. For my own language I prefer being corrected by PM (as it's often only typos  -- let me dream! ), but it's not a big deal if done also on board. 

In this case I've a strange feeling when a person quickly corrects someone else sharing their same native language on board  (sometimes as soon as the post is displayed) without adding any kind words... Sometimes it seems to me that they don't want anything but showing how clever they are and updating their posts counting. I always bet on others forero intelligence and I prefer giving them a chance to auto-correct their mistakes (within the 24 hours limit!) by sending them PM. I just don't see the point of seeing my name into the edit message after... (thanks .,, another message without being off-topic!  )

 Finally, what is important is trying to keep the language forum posts "error free" as much as possible, whatever the means used. As a learner I'm always glad to read good English or Spanish thanks to native speakers correcting each other's posts. I'm not clever enough to detect by myself mistakes made from natives. 

 Edit: Of course, feel free to correct my numerous mistakes here...! (no more smilies available)


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## badgrammar

I have been surprised to learn that some folks writing in their second or third language actually dislike being corrected on the board, and would prefer it be done by PM.  I think it is fine to do this on the board, because that way other forero can benefit from the correction.  If it is done by PM, then it seems like only giving the information to one person, which seems contrary to the purpose of the forum.  Of course I'm not talking about correcting every typo, spelling or grammar error, I'm talking about bringing one or two errors to light, correcting them in an effort to help the writer and other foreros.  I am never upset by being corrected on the boards.

However, these PM boxes are tiny, and I like to use mine for totally off-topic stuff, not stuff it full of " You might want to use "could" instead of "should" " type messages.  

I don't correct that often anyway .  Only in the forums where it is being specifically asked for.


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## maxiogee

badgrammar said:


> However, these PM boxes are tiny, and I like to use mine for totally off-topic stuff, not stuff it full of " You might want to use "could" instead of "should" " type messages.


 
You can get into a routine of downloading the contents to your computer as a text file every week or two. I do. I'd be lost without the download facility.


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## Etcetera

KaRiNe_Fr said:


> In this case I've a strange feeling when a person quickly corrects someone else sharing their same native language on board (sometimes as soon as the post is displayed) without adding any kind words...


Yes, it makes me feel uneasy, too. 
I always add something like "a minor correction". This way it sounds... more friendly, maybe.


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## Joelline

When I was very, very new to WordReference, I actually used to type my posts into a Word document first so that I could spell-check them!  That quickly became rather cumbersome, and now, I'll take the correction, in private or in public.  But I DO wish WR had a spell-checking button!


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## panjabigator

Joelline said:


> When I was very, very new to WordReference, I actually used to type my posts into a Word document first so that I could spell-check them!  That quickly became rather cumbersome, and now, I'll take the correction, in private or in public.  But I DO wish WR had a spell-checking button!



Mozilla does have something...I think it is an add on.


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## .   1

Joelline said:


> But I DO wish WR had a spell-checking button!


Why does WR not have a spell-checker. (The button wont work without the checker )

.,,


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## Etcetera

panjabigator said:


> Mozilla does have something...I think it is an add on.


Yes. Look at this thread.


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## ghoti

I'm an editor (in English) and a pretty good one, too, I've been told. But there is no such thing as a person who does not make mistakes. 

I once got a PM about a typo I had made (and I make plenty  ), but I would prefer to be alerted on the boards. It's not only that it's a way for me to be made aware that I may need to be more careful (or an occasion for me to reply when the corrector is not in fact correct  ); it may also give helpful information to people who are learning English.


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## Joca

One of the posting guidelines states:

"Be helpful, not hurtful.
If someone's Spanish, English, French or Italian (whichever languages apply) isn't perfect, don't treat him/her badly."

This is ok, but I wonder if it's a policy within WR that any mistakes a foreigner makes be automatically corrected in any forum, including the Cultural Forum that imo is not basically concerned with language mistakes, even if the foreign poster never explicitly expressed his or her wish to be corrected. 

And is it ok if a non-speaker corrects a mistake made by a native speaker in his or her own language?  

Summing up: are mistakes to be corrected in public, this being a rule for all WR users and forums, or must this only happen if a poster expresses a desire and it is an adequate forum for that? 

Is there a protocol for correcting mistakes? Or do you do as you please?

I hope I have made my questions and doubts clear enough to be understood.


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## Etcetera

Hi Joca.

This matter has been discussed in detail several times. Try searching for "correcting mistakes", for example.


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