How Do You Spell Yours?

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moved
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Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by moved »

Loopyloulou wrote:Fascinating. I have learnt something today. I had always assumed "rooves", but checked Fowler's "Modern English Usage" (published 1926) and discovered that he has much to say about "-fs" against "-ves". For example did you know that "beeves" is correct for oxen but "beefs" for kinds of beef?

On "roof" he gives "no -v forms" :shock: .
My copyediting background comes out here. Fowler's being The Word on everything. Definitely roofs, hoofs, in modern English a hotel, but I still like an hotel. Oxford English spelling is different from Cambridge and having done work for both publishing houses I've needed to learn flexibility in spelling. :mrgreen:
Plum
Posts: 284
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:26 am

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by Plum »

Being an administrator (for my sins), I'm constantly bombarded with bad spelling (and that is from the graduates at work!)

But what about pronunciation:-

Do you say "shedule" or skedule" for schedule? I tend to opt for the former but I notice a lot of people say the latter.

Also, what do you say for harrass? "harris" or "har-rass" ie "harrisment" or "har-rassment"? My mum has always told me the former. (Am I making sense.... :oops: )

And I once had a boss who insisted on saying "darta" instead of "data" - just couldn't take him seriously!
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by mad? »

moved wrote:My copyediting background comes out here. Fowler's being The Word on everything. Definitely roofs, hoofs, in modern English a hotel, but I still like an hotel. Oxford English spelling is different from Cambridge and having done work for both publishing houses I've needed to learn flexibility in spelling. :mrgreen:
But please reassure me, as I'm beginning to doubt myself, nowhere but nowhere does any deivation of definite have an 'A' in it? (let alone independent or indeed grammar have an 'e') :shock:
mad?
slackmum
Posts: 139
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:21 pm

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by slackmum »

My personal bugbear is 'off of', I literally scream when I hear it.
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by KS10 »

My daughter was given both of those words in a spelling test last year, by a supply teacher (stationary and stationery) and the teacher got them the wrong way around! I always teach 'e as in pen' and 'a as in car'.
I always use stationERy and papER and stationARy and pARking.

practice and practise
advice and advise

And how do you pronounce 'adjective', 'jewellery' (how many syllables?) and recognise?

Most annoying - would of / could of and double negatives
Looking for help
Posts: 3767
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by Looking for help »

KS10 wrote:And how do you pronounce 'jewellery'
Coming form the West of Scotland...this is easy...joolery...but I think a lot of pronunciation differences are to do with dialect rather than a lack of education.

Spelling and grammar, however are a different matter, apart from a difference of opinion about a hotel vs an hotel (help :!: ) , education makes all the difference
turtleglos
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 12:04 pm

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by turtleglos »

practice and practise
According to ds1(who was concerned that he had got it wrong in a practice sat paper) one is a verb and one is a noun and it changes depending on how it is used.
No wonder I left school early, I didnt have a clue! :?
"Can I" instead of "may I" always annoys me.
Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will think it is stupid.
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by doodles »

I think that life is so fast paced these days that people don't have the time to think about the grammatical correctness of what they are saying/writing. Email and texting encourage the most appalling use of English and spelling.

I am not sure when either of my DS's last wrote a letter, but they can both text and email at the drop of a hat.
pheasantchick
Posts: 2439
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:28 pm

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by pheasantchick »

The only letters mine write are thank-you letters, usually with a threat that if they are not written, than the presents will be sent back/given to charity (saves on postage!). Admittedly, part of this process is just to give then hand-writing practice.

Always written 'an-hotel' and 'an-hour'.

I've just done something that annoys me even though I do it. ie. Not writing full sentences. ie. should I've written, "I've always written...", rather than missed out the first part.

No-one has mentioned - Me and Colin Firth, instead of Colin and I. I think thats more spoken English rather than written, and actually sounds quite formal in todays language.
mad?
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: How Do You Spell Yours?

Post by mad? »

pheasantchick wrote:No-one has mentioned - Me and Colin Firth, instead of Colin and I. I think thats more spoken English rather than written, and actually sounds quite formal in todays language.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
mad?
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