To Spellcheck or Not to Spellcheck

Article Writing and Spell check

Spell check is a useful tool but it is not always effective. For example, if I had typed affective in place of effective, spell check would have noted that it was a valid spelling. Or you could use a word that is totally different and gives meaning that you did not intend. What if you were writing about paying your taxes and you wrote, “My taxes are filed”. Replace the word filed with fined and it gives your text a whole different meaning. Although it is spelled correctly, the usage is incorrect.

Before the advent of computers, there were typewriters and pen, paper and ink. The only way to correct your mistakes was to look the word up, use white out and correct your mistake. When you wrote something on paper you could make a line through it, scratch it out and write the correct word above or below the scratched out word.

So next time article writing is in your future remember that spell check is a useful tool but does not release you from looking up words that you question. Yes, you can use the online dictionary or thesaurus, but you still need to make sure that the word is grammatically correct.

Mistakes in article writing are not only being made by the younger generation, but anyone who writes. Government officials, teachers, writers and newspaper editors have all been guilty of this faux pas. Use spell check wisely but not exclusively.