Ok so maybe I have a bit of a superiority complex but I do feel it's warranted, at least on this topic. Is it just me or is the world dumbing-down on matters of spelling and literacy? I'm often appalled by the lack of correct spelling and I'm not just talking about school work here.
Who's using poor spelling?
Some of the worst culprits are businesses who spell their own services incorrectly! I've seen lovely, big, paid-for signs for motels with the word "accommodation" spelt without the second m, and even an optometrist where the word was shown as "optomertrist". I saw a body piercing/tattoo business whose sign read: “Body percing and tattoing done here.” Frankly, if they're going to make a typo on their own sign, imagine their performance on my tattoo, or worse, puncturing my body parts! Pass!
Restaurant menus are notorious for spelling errors. How many different spellings have you seen for the words "cappuccino", "focaccia" and "dessert"? I often feel like correcting it before handing it back … but that would be rude!
Check, check, check
If you take pride in the work you do and the services you offer, surely it's worth ensuring that you portray a professional image in all areas of your business. A spell-check is essential on documents, and it's made so easy for you with Microsoft Word! Take advantage of it and you'll spare yourself the embarrassment of someone pointing out your errors to you.
Your website, of course, should also reflect your professionalism. Don't take it for granted that your website designer's English skills are spot-on. Proof-read your web pages before they go live. That includes photo captions, product descriptions and meta tags.
A dictionary can be your best friend
When you're in doubt about how to spell a word, pick up a dictionary and check it. There are even online dictionaries now; you only have to Google the word "dictionary" and you'll find a couple of options.
There's really no excuse for poor spelling in your business correspondence, marketing material and signage. For sure, other people are blessed with far greater mathematical skills than I, but I will always grab a calculator if I'm not sure of what I'm doing.
A new word each day
Never be ashamed to have to learn something new. For whatever reason, if your spelling skills are not top notch, you can take steps to improve them, even if it's on a word-by-word basis. Invest a couple of minutes per day learning a new word. You can even visit websites that offer a word of the day and even email it to you, complete with definition.
Poor spelling creates a poor impression, in the same way that chipped nail polish or laddered stockings simply wouldn't do for a job interview or client meeting. Make some time today to go over your work and see if you can make some improvements.
Need help?
There are proofreading services available that offer quick turnaround. For a set fee, you can have your entire website proofread and individual items of correspondence checked and corrected, and all with guaranteed confidentiality.
